


Edge of Town

by Justspookythingz



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: M/M, Spooky, Supernatural Elements, midwestern gothic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25214191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justspookythingz/pseuds/Justspookythingz
Summary: Ryan slammed the breaks, jarring them both against their seatbelts.“Dude, what—“ Shane began, looking annoyed.“I saw something,” Ryan’s voice was strained as he peered desperately outside the windshield. “Something ran in front of the car.”“What, like, a person?”“I don’t know. It was big, like huge, and dark, I couldn’t make it out,” Ryan sounded spooked.
Relationships: Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej
Comments: 91
Kudos: 246





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing a story based solely on Midwestern gothic vibes. Shoutout to all the other midwesterners out there. I plan on posting chapters weekly, if not more often.  
> Title comes from the song Edge of Town by Middle Kids. Go check it out it's the perfect Shane & Ryan song
> 
> Leave me some love, spooky babes <3

“We’re lost.”

“We’re not lost,” Shane sighed, glancing at Ryan over his sunglasses.

“We should stop and ask for directions,” Ryan insisted. He was gazing out the passenger window anxiously, his feet absently kicking at the wrappers and bottles littering the floor of the car.

“Ryan, look around you. Who are we gonna ask?” Shane gestured at the flat landscape surrounding them, miles of flat plains, fields of young corn and soybeans all stretching towards the horizon. 

Ryan fiddled with his phone for a second, before grumbling in frustration. “I can’t get a damn signal…do you have anything?”

  
  
“We have the same carrier, why would I have a signal?” Shane asked as he rolled down his window, wind whipping through his hair, muffling his speech. 

“Dude, the AC is on,” Ryan protested. Shane turned it off.

“Ugh, it’s like a billion degrees,” Ryan continued, slumping in his seat like a petulant teenager.

“It’s really not that bad, it’s just humid.”

“God, I hate the midwest.”

“Hey, now,” Shane gave Ryan a Look.

“Whatever, Chicago is fine, but this sucks.”

“Awww, is our sweet, little Cali boy scared of nature?” Shane teased.

Ryan rolled his eyes, straightening up again to fiddle with the radio. “Dude, you know I like nature, but this is just…nothing. Like, you can’t even call this nature, it’s just miles of corn and religious billboards.” He turned the radio off, after switching through channels of nothing but static. 

Shane was lax and unworried, one hand propped loosely on the steering wheel, the other hanging out the window. He glanced at Ryan. “What’s the deal, little guy, normally you like driving to our locations.”

Ryan sighed. “I dunno, dude, this just makes me uneasy. We haven’t seen Teej and the others since we ditched them at the last rest stop. I haven’t even seen a billboard in half an hour, much less any sort of road sign.”

“We’ll be fine,” Shane reassured. “We’ve been on this same stretch of highway all along, there’s no way we’re lost.”

——————

“Okay, we’re lost,” Shane admitted. Several hours had passed, and the landscape had gradually grown into gentle hills and slopes, green trees littered amongst the farmland. There had yet to be a single car or road sign along the long stretch of highway.

Ryan looked worried now. His eyebrows were furrowed, his left leg bouncing up and down rapidly. He had taken off his hat and was spinning it nervously in his hands.

“Hey, jitterbug, chill out,” Shane said quietly, putting a hand on Ryan’s knee to slow his fidgeting.

“Dude, how are you not freaking out? We’re lost in the middle of bumfuck nowhere.”

Shane pushed his sunglasses up into his hair, looking over at Ryan. The sun was well on its way to setting, casting weak, golden beams of light through the windows. “We’ll be fine,” Shane said reasonably. “What’s the worst that could happen? We spend a night in the car? We’ve done that before. We’ve got plenty of snacks, and we have to find something eventually.”

“I guess you’re right,” Ryan replied, still looking worried.

“Wanna play I Spy?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Come oooon,” Shane grinned. “Here, I’ll start. I spy with my little eyyyye…something…green.”

“Nope,” Ryan was smiling reluctantly at this point.

“Hey, look!” Shane pointed at the windshield. Ryan followed his gaze and saw an old, wooden sign rapidly coming towards them at the side of the highway.

“‘Now entering: Chesterwick, population 37,’” Ryan read. “‘Next exit.’”

“See?” Shane said emphatically. “I told you we’d find something!”

“Dude, a town in bumfuck nowhere with 30 people is not exactly what I was hoping for,” Ryan sounded uneasy. “We don’t even know if they’ll have a hotel.”

“But we can ask for directions,” Shane said reasonably. “And I’m sure someone in town has a working phone so we can check in with TJ.”

Ryan’s stomach grumbled loudly, and he pinked.

Shane grinned. “I’m sure we could find some real food for our growing boy, too.”

“Shut up,” Ryan grumped, but he was fighting a smile as he crossed his arms and slouched in his seat.

Shane pulled off to the right a couple of minutes later, slowly following the curve of the exit. The surrounding land was decidedly more forested now, an equal mixture of wheat fields and wild, green forests. They drove for several more minutes in silence, passing occasional dilapidated barns and wooden houses, crumbling with age.

The town was…weird. Shane drove slowly through the streets, which seemed utterly deserted. The town was tiny, just a cluster of old, dark houses. There was nobody in sight, no cars, no people.

For the first time, Shane looked slightly uneasy.

They finally turned a corner to see a wooden building that looked at least a century old with a wooden sign swinging gently: ‘General Store.’

Shane silently pulled the car over to the side of the road, turning it off.

“Tell me I’m not the only one getting really weird vibes from this place,” Ryan practically whispered.

“This place is definitely a little spooky,” Shane admitted. “But the only dangers here are, like…alcoholism and incest.” Ryan snorted.

They both exited the car, Ryan jamming his baseball cap on backward, Shane stretching for a long moment. He caught sight of Ryan. “You look like a frat boy.”

“Fuck off,” Ryan huffed, no heat in it. He turned to face the store. “This place looks, uh, not super open?” He jumped violently as the door swung open with a bang. An old man slowly hobbled out, his brown pants and yellow button-down rumpled. 

Shane glanced at Ryan before taking a few cautious steps towards the man, who squinted up at him, his eyes rheumy and clouded.

“Hi, uh, hey there, we seem to be a little lost, and we’re wondering if you could point us towards Boise? Also, if you have a phone, we kind of got separated from our friends on the road, and we should let them know we’re okay,” Shane smiled genially, his Midwestern drawl prominent.

The man just stared for a few painful seconds, before answering in a croaking, grating rasp. “Lost, you say?”

Ryan crept up to stand beside Shane. He cleared his throat, his eyes wide, his voice pitched up uneasily. “Uh, yeah, could you, uh, maybe help us out, sir?”

“You won’t find it,” the man rasped before letting out a choking, wet laugh.

“Ooookay, okay, so, uh, we’ll just be going then!” Ryan’s voice was strained, his expression frozen in a nervous smile. Shane put a hand on his shoulder.

Shane looked slightly perturbed, but his stance was still relaxed and open. “Sir, do you know how to get to Boise?” He asked slowly, pitching his voice louder, clearly convinced that the man was just confused and old.

The man just looked at them before letting out another thick, choking laugh. “There’s no way out,” he managed to say between bouts of laughter.

“OKAY, okay, we’re leaving immediately,” Ryan practically shouted, his expression still frozen, eyes wide. He grabbed Shane’s arm tightly and steered him back to the car. Shane reluctantly got in.

“Dude, c’mon, go, get us the fuck out of here,” Ryan urged frantically.

“Hey, Ry, it’s okay,” Shane looked concerned. “He’s just a crazy old man. Probably from all the inbreeding,” Shane snorted. “Let’s just find someone else to ask.”

Ryan took a deep breath, looking relieved as Shane slowly drove away from where the old man still stood on the sidewalk, gazing after them. “You can’t tell me that wasn’t, like, super fucking weird.”

“Oh, it was totally super weird,” Shane agreed. “But old people are weird, Ryan. And that dude’s clearly been hitting the moonshine a little too hard.”

Ryan huffed out a laugh, relaxing slightly.

The weaved slowly through the city streets, night quickly falling. Fireflies started to glow through the tangle of weeds and tall grass filling the large yards. “It’s kinda pretty here,” Shane commented.

“If by pretty, you mean super spooky, then sure.”

“Little guy, you think everything is spooky,” Shane replied fondly.

Shane suddenly screeched to a halt, as a woman ran in front of their car, her hands held up. “Jesus,” Ryan gasped. 

The woman stood in the glow of their headlights, her gray hair pulled into a single braid. Her dress looked like something she had been wearing since the 1960s. She was clearly waiting for them to exit the car. Shane glanced at Ryan. “Let me go first,” he said, voice quietly firm. Ryan just swallowed and nodded.

Shane stepped out of the car cautiously, as Ryan watched anxiously. Ryan saw the two talking, but he couldn’t hear the conversation from within the car. His curiosity won over his fear, and he slowly stepped out of the car.

“—at my house tonight,” the woman was saying, her voice hushed as she looked around nervously.

“We don’t mind staying in the car,” Shane replied. “We just need directions to Boise.”

The woman stared at them in disbelief, looking back and forth between Shane and Ryan before throwing another nervous glance over her shoulder. “You have no idea, do you,” she said faintly, her voice barely audible. She shook her head emphatically. “It’s not safe. You have to stay with me.”

Shane threw a perplexed look at Ryan before replying, “Look, we’re two young guys, we’ll be fine sleeping in the car. We’ve stayed in worse places.” He quirked a sardonic smile at this.

“Please,” the woman’s expression turned pleading. “I shouldn’t be here.” She looked around nervously again, her face taut. “Just please come with me.”

“Do you have a phone we could use?” Ryan spoke up tentatively.

She gazed at Ryan for a moment before nodding once. “Yes, come in, and you can use the phone.”

Shane and Ryan made eye contact, Shane shrugging. “Let me park the car real quick,” he said, looking back towards the woman. He folded himself back into the car, pulling it out into a quick U-turn before pulling up to the opposite curb. 

“I’m Ryan, by the way,” Ryan cleared his throat, trying to force some normalcy into the situation. He held out his hand. 

The woman simply stared at it, before replying “My name is Susanna.” She turned towards the house next to their parked car. It was a moderately-sized wooden structure, paint chipped and faded. It stood two-stories tall, and the pointed roof, wrapping porch, and rounded corners made it look forbiddingly gothic.

Shane stepped out of the car, locking it behind him. Susanna walked quickly towards the house, Ryan and Shane trailing behind her. Ryan and Shane were looking at each other, holding a silent conversation. Ryan looked faintly uneasy, making wide eyes at Shane, who just shrugged and quirked half a grin, as if to say _what the hell?_

The wooden steps creaked under their feet as they climbed up the front porch. Susanna entered first, bustling into the dark house. Ryan and Shane stood just outside for a moment, clearly uncertain at the prospect of entering a stranger’s dark house. A light sputtered to life, and Susanna was standing in the middle of an entryway, clutching a lantern. This did nothing to ease Shane and Ryan’s nervousness.

“Dude, what the fuck,” Ryan whispered, looking up at Shane.

“It’s okay, she probably just can’t afford electricity. Or like, maybe she’s just some sort of Luddite,” Shane whispered back, shrugging before he stepped into the house.

“Fuck this,” Ryan huffed as he followed Shane.

They stood in the entryway of the house, and Ryan thought that the house must’ve once been beautiful. Now, it was clearly falling into disrepair. The walnut staircase leading upstairs was missing a large chunk of the railing, and the maroon oriental rug under their feet was moth-eaten and threadbare. The walls were a sad gray color, few chips of white paint remaining, the crown molding dusty and dull. The doorways to the rest of the house were dark and foreboding.

Ryan stood closer to Shane than was probably necessary, but he was too nervous to feel self-conscious.

Shane cleared his throat after looking around for a moment, “So, uh, you have a phone?”

Susanna simply looked at them, and for the first time, she seemed uncertain as well. Before she could speak, Ryan’s stomach moaned and gurgled loudly, and he ducked his head, his pink-tinged ears just visible under his hat. When he risked a glance at Susanna, he saw that she was smiling for the first time, but it looked awkward and uneven, as if she had forgotten how.

“Sorry, please excuse this guy, he’s got the stomach of a 16-year-old,” Shane threw an exasperated glance at Ryan.

“I had children, I understand,” Susanna nodded. “How about we eat something before I find my phone?”

Ryan started to object, “We should really—“

Shane interrupted him, “That would be nice, thank you.” He threw a pointed look at Ryan.

“It will be a few minutes, I was just about to heat up some stew. Here…” Susanna opened a tiny, rectangular cupboard under the stairs, ducking down to fiddle with something inside for a moment, before emerging with two more lanterns. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. You can go where you like, just don’t enter the basement.” She handed off the lanterns before heading into the darkness of the house alone. 

Ryan and Shane stood still and silent for a moment until the sounds of pots and pans could be heard very distantly. Ryan turned to Shane, his expression cracking into wide-eyed anxiety.

“Dude, this whole town is so fucking weird, can we please leave?”

Shane sighed. “Ry, I know it’s weird, but I really don’t think the old lady’s gonna serial murder us or anything. Like, yeah, she’s super fucking weird, but it seems like she actually just wants to help us.” Shane ruffled Ryan’s hair. “Besides, ya beefy boy, I know you could take her if she tries anything. I’m counting on your ridiculous muscles to protect me, big guy.”

Ryan snorted, rolling his eyes. He knew that Shane was just trying to make him relax, and he was still totally falling for it.

“We’ll stay for dinner, use her phone, then we can fuck off and drive all night if you want,” Shane reassured. “C’mon, old houses are cool, let’s look around.”

Ryan scoffed, following Shane as he headed into a darkened doorway. “Since when do you think old houses are cool, we stay in old places all the time.”

“Bud, we mostly stay in dirty prisons and shit. Also, I’m usually distracted by you pissing yourself at every little gust of wind.”

“Rude.”

“You’re not denying it though,” Shane’s reply was absent as he walked a broad, slow circle around the room they were in. Bookshelves covered in a thick layer of dust lined the walls, a crumbling fireplace sat opposite a red velvet couch that had seen better days. Shane stretched, his joints crackling, before plopping down on the couch.

“I thought you wanted to look around?” Ryan asked as he scanned the books on the shelves.

“Yeah, but I’m also tired as fuck. I’ve been driving for almost 12 hours—“

“Dude! I told you to let me take over after lunch,” Ryan protested, spinning to face Shane.

“Yeah, but how would your tiny wittle legs reach the pedals in such a big car?”

“Oh hardy har, yuck it up, Madej.” Ryan’s reply was sarcastic, but he was clearly tamping down a smile.

Shane sighed and stretched again. Ryan came to join him on the couch, sprawling out. A quiet creak from the left, and then Susanna was standing in the doorway. “Come into the kitchen, there’s stew and bread.”

“Awesome, thanks,” Ryan awkwardly smiled at her. He and Shane trailed behind Susanna down the shadowed hallway into a kitchen that looked like it hadn’t been updated since the 1950s. The linoleum countertops were faded and cracked, and the appliances were rusted.

Ryan and Shane silently sat on creaking stools at the island, and Susanna placed chipped bowls of stew in front of them. They silently began to eat; Shane, unsurprisingly, was the first to speak up.

“So, Susanna, how long have you lived here?”

Susanna swallowed her food before replying shortly, “I was born in this house.”

“That’s cool, do you know how long your family has had this house?” Shane was conversational, forcing some normalcy onto the very bizarre situation.

“My family built this house in 1882,” Susanna took a sip of water from a clouded glass, glanced at Shane and Ryan, and seemed to realize they had nothing to drink. She deposited two similar glasses of tap water in front of them. After clearing her throat, Susanna asked, “So what brings you boys here? If you don’t mind me saying, you don’t much seem like rural Iowa boys…”

“We’re not,” Ryan finally spoke up. “I’m from Cali, big guy’s from Chicago. We were on our way to the Old Idaho State Penitentiary, near Boise? We make a show about haunted places.”  
  
“ _Supposedly_ haunted,” Shane interjected.

“A show?” Susanna asked. “Like, a TV show?”

“Sort of, yeah,” Ryan replied through a mouthful of bread. “It’s for a company that mostly posts stuff on the internet…” Ryan trailed off. He was uncertain if Susanna even knew what the internet was.

“I see,” Susanna nodded, but her expression was still uncertain.

“So, what do you do around here, Susanna?” Shane asked.

“I help keep this town safe,” Susanna wouldn’t look at them.

“Like, a cop?” Ryan looked surprised.

“Not quite,” Susanna shrugged. She didn’t explain further, and the silence stretched on uncomfortably. Ryan found himself shoveling the remains of his food in his mouth, clearly hoping to leave soon.

Once Shane and Ryan had finished, they made eye contact, seeming to hold a silent conversation. Ryan looked at Shane expectantly, and he rolled his eyes in response before turning to Susanna.

“Susanna, do you have that phone?” Shane asked. “We’d really like to get in touch with our friends and be on our way.”

Susanna looked caught, her eyes wide. She slowly began to clear away their dishes, still silent. Finally, she spoke up, “I do not have a phone. No one in the town does.”  
  
Ryan looked at Shane, both clearly thinking _what the fuck._

Ryan slowly began to stand, looking nervous again. “Well, uh, in that case, we should really be—“

“Wait,” Susanna looked desperate. “Please, it’s not safe at night. You can’t leave.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Shane said firmly. “Thank you so much for your hospitality. It was nice to meet you, but we really need to head out before our friends report us missing.” This last part was said pointedly. Shane walked over to Ryan, putting a hand on his shoulder to guide him through the dark house to the front door.

Susanna dropped the dishes, following after them, her expression now frantic. “Please, you don’t understand, you’re not safe, and you _can’t leave—_ “

“We have a car, we should be fine,” Shane called over his shoulder, pushing Ryan out the front door towards their car.

When Ryan glanced back, he saw Susanna looked absolutely terrified. She stood just inside the threshold of her doorway, watching them. Upon seeing her expression, Ryan felt his heart begin to race uncomfortably. He practically threw himself into the driver’s side of the car, quickly adjusting the seat as Shane climbed in.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Shane was still gazing out the dark window towards Susanna. He seemed truly uneasy, which did nothing to calm Ryan’s anxiety. Ryan quickly pulled the car away from the curb, speeding down the dark, silent streets.

Ryan glanced at Shane, “Dude, you can’t tell me—“

  
  
“No, you’re right, Bergara, that was super fucking weird,” Shane interjected. He suddenly began to laugh. “Dude, the rural midwest is fucked up, let’s get the fuck out of this town.”

Ryan huffed a reluctant laugh, before straightening his expression into something grim. “We’re still, like, super lost, though.”

“Just drive. If we go back the way we came, we’ll eventually hit the Illinois border, and we can go from there.”

Ryan glanced at Shane. “Do you know which street got us into this town?” He sighed, “There’s no fucking streetlights or signs anywhere, and all these old houses look the same.”

“Just pick a direction and stick to it, we’re bound to hit some sort of highway eventually,” Shane looked frustrated as he slumped down in his seat.

They drove in silence for several minutes, Shane absently playing with his phone, hoping for a signal. The dark outside their car was absolute, apart from the glow of their headlights. The houses were fading as they left the outskirts of the central part of town, giving way to dark, dense forests and fields of corn. Suddenly, Ryan slammed the breaks, jarring them both against their seatbelts.

“Dude, what—“ Shane began, looking annoyed.

“I saw something,” Ryan’s voice was strained as he peered desperately outside the windshield. “Something ran in front of the car.”

“What, like, a person?”

“I don’t know. It was big, like huge, and dark, I couldn’t make it out,” Ryan sounded spooked, but he slowly began to drive again.

“It was probably just a deer,” Shane rolled his eyes.

“Yeah…probably,” Ryan agreed absently, still intently watching the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is heavily inspired by WTNV, Alice isn't Dead, Stranger Things, Twin Peaks, SCP, and all things spooky and Americana. I'm a total midwesterner and there's something comforting about writing about my own turf.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm too excited to wait a week to post more.

Ryan drove for hours with Shane passed out in the passenger’s seat. Ryan was chugging their last Red Bull, blinking against the dryness of his contacts. The world outside their car was still dark, indistinguishable shapes of trees, barns, fields, all rushing by. Ryan suddenly pulled to a stop in the middle of the road.

“What the fuck,” he whispered, peering out the windshield. He could just make out the shapes of houses lining the road in front of him. 

Shane stirred beside him, groggily lifting his head. “We make it to the highway?” His voice was still soft and slurred with sleep.

“No, I think…it can’t be the same…we’re back in town, I think?”

“Ryan,” Shane sounded more alert. “Why did you come back here?”

  
  
“Dude, it wasn’t intentional. I swear I was going the same way the whole time, but I guess I must’ve gotten turned around? It’s so fucking dark out…fuck, we’re never getting out of here,” Ryan slammed the steering wheel once before rubbing his eyes again.

Shane sighed. “Why don’t we switch? Take out your contacts, catch some sleep, and I’ll get us the fuck out of here.”

“Bud, you only got a couple hours of sleep,” Ryan looked uncertain. “You sure you’re good to drive?”

  
  
“I’ll be fine,” Shane waved him off. Shane climbed out of the car, while Ryan clambered over the center console into the passenger’s seat. After adjusting the seat (“Jesus, you’re tiny, Bergara…”), Shane pulled a quick U-turn and sped off down the road away from the town. Ryan switched over to glasses, slumping in his seat, his hat discarded on the floor. Shane glanced over and quirked a smile as Ryan almost immediately began to snore softly.

——————

Shane stopped the car, his face baffled. They had driven for two more hours in the dark, and they were back on the outskirts of town. Ryan was still passed out. 

“Fuck it,” Shane sighed, pulling onto the shoulder at the side of the road. He turned off the car, locked the doors, and leaned his seat back. He decided he must’ve been more tired than he realized. They’d have better luck in the daylight. Soon, both boys were fast asleep.

——————

Ryan woke with a start. The car was silent, not moving. He glanced over at Shane, who was still asleep. Ryan sighed, closing his eyes again, rolling over onto his side, trying to get comfortable. 

_Tap, tap, tap._

Ryan’s eyes flew open, his heart pounding. The sound came from the back of the car. He frantically reached over, grabbing Shane’s arm to shake him awake.

“Whu…?” Shane opened his eyes, still half-asleep.

“ _I heard something,”_ Ryan hissed, eyes wide.

“Prob’ly a deer, go back to sleep,” Shane sighed, closing his eyes.

_Tap, tap._

Shane opened his eyes, looking at Ryan, whose expression was quickly becoming frantic.

“ _Does that sound like a deer??”_ Ryan demanded, voice hushed.

“Okay, maybe a raccoon,” Shane sighed. “We’re in the middle of nowhere, there’s all sorts of weird wildlife—"  
  
  
 _Tap, tap, tap, tap._

Ryan grabbed Shane’s arm again. Shane sat up slightly, glancing at Ryan. “Ry, it’s okay, it’s just some sort of animal,” Shane reassured quietly. “I’ll go check it out.”

Ryan clutched Shane tighter. “Dude, don’t leave me alone, don’t fucking go out there,” Ryan’s voice was climbing, his palm sweaty where he held Shane.

“Jesus, Bergara, it’s fine,” Shane was fully awake now, looking at Ryan, concerned. “Look, the sun should be coming up in a couple hours, and we can get out of here. We’re fine, just try to get some more sleep.”

The tapping began again, the sound now coming from the passenger’s side of the car, still behind Ryan and Shane.

“Okay,” Shane still looked unconcerned as he started the car. “I’m sure it’s just some sort of animal, but I’ll go park somewhere else.” The headlights turned on, and Ryan frantically looked over his shoulder, trying to see outside. The shadows seemed to lurch and swirl, the taillights barely penetrating the darkness. Ryan let out a shaky breath as Shane pulled off the shoulder, kicking up gravel behind them. They drove in relative silence, and Ryan slowly disengaged his grip on Shane’s arm, turning fully in his seat to look behind him.

“See any monsters out there, Mulder?” Shane asked, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “Is it Moth Man? The Jersey Devil??”

  
  
Ryan huffed, “Dude, we’re in Iowa, you know Moth Man and the Devil don’t live around here.”

Shane snorted. “Dude, they don’t live around anywhere. ‘Cause they’re, uh, not real?”

  
  
Ryan just rolled his eyes, slumping down in his seat. After a couple of minutes, Shane pulled onto the shoulder again, gravel crunching under their tires. “I’ll set my alarm for 4:30,” Shane sighed, pulling out his phone. “The sun should be coming up by then, and we can find the highway.”

They both leaned their seats back, settling in.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Ryan’s eyes flew open, meeting Shane’s wide eyes in the dark.

“Okay, that’s weird,” Shane said quietly. “Maybe I’ll just, uh, try to find the highway now?”

Ryan was still curled up in his seat, facing Shane, silent and wide-eyed. He nodded mutely. Shane started the car, quickly turning on the headlights. He looked over his shoulder, trying to see in the dark. Suddenly, a loud popping crash, and one of the tail lights turned off.

“Dude, go,” Ryan demanded, his voice loud and earnest.

“Damn it, this is a rental,” Shane sounded annoyed.

“Dude, forget the car, get us out of here,” Ryan insisted.

Shane sighed, straightening up in his seat. He glanced back once more before pulling the car back onto the road. They drove in silence for a couple of minutes, Ryan still frozen in his seat, gazing at Shane. He seemed to grow more relaxed as they drove, finally stretching and rolling to face the front.

“I know you’re determined to pretend everything is normal,” Ryan commented, holding his hand up as Shane began to protest. “But please, tell me what the fuck kind of animal busts out tail lights.”

“I don’t know,” Shane admitted. “Maybe someone in the town was fucking with us?”

“How the fuck would someone be following our car around?”

“Look, Ryan, I don’t know,” Shane sounded frustrated as he scrubbed a hand down his face. “Weirder things have happened to us…just help me make sure I don’t get turned around. I wanna find the highway.”

Ryan sighed, focusing on the dark fields passing by the straight, narrow road. They drove for several minutes before seemingly out of nowhere, red and blue lights flashed from behind them, blinding in the dark.

Shane swore quietly as he eased the car over onto the shoulder. He sat tense and silent, as Ryan craned his neck, squinting in the flashing lights to see the old, beat-up cop car sitting behind them. They heard the sound of a door slamming, feet crunching along gravel slowly. A man in a tan Sheriff’s uniform stood outside Shane’s window, gesturing for him to roll it down. Shane did so, and the man leaned slightly into the open window, squinting at them. He was younger than the two people in the town, his chin covered in a short, scruffy brown beard. Shane caught the lingering scent of cigarettes as the man leaned in.

“You boys aren’t from around here, are you?” The man’s voice was pitched low.

“No, not exactly,” Shane replied. “We’re actually a little lost, could you maybe help us find our way back to the highway?”

The man considered them both for a second, leaning back to stand straight again. “You got a tail light out,” he commented, ignoring Shane’s question, as he gestured towards the back of the car.

“Yeah, that just happened. It’s a rental, I guess it must’ve been cracked or something before we left,” Shane shrugged.

The sheriff stood silent for a moment, looking over his shoulders before leaning back into their car. “You boys need to come with me.”

  
  
Ryan stiffened. “Are we under arrest?”

  
  
The sheriff snorted. “Why, you do something wrong?”

  
  
“No, we’re just lost…look, sir, do you know how to get to the highway from here?” Shane was starting to look annoyed.

“I can’t help you boys find the highway,” the Sheriff sighed. “These roads aren’t safe at night. Also, you both look exhausted.” He looked at them pointedly. “You need to come get some sleep before morning. We’ve got about an hour until sunrise.”

Shane looked at Ryan, and they held a silent conversation. Finally, Ryan shrugged, and Shane turned back to the sheriff. “Okay, lead the way,” his voice was resigned.

The sheriff walked back to his car, turning off the flashing lights. As soon as Shane rolled his window up, Ryan was talking. “Dude, what the fuck is it with this town? ‘ _These roads aren’t safe at night_ ’? And why won’t anyone just give us—“

“Ryan,” Shane interrupted, as he pulled his car out behind the police cruiser. “Look, I know this place is weird, but this guy seems nice enough. These just seem like kooky, small-town people. Let’s just try to get a nap in, and the sheriff can help us get out of here in the morning.”

Ryan didn’t respond, his expression troubled. After a couple of minutes, they were back in town, driving down dark streets, following the white police car. The police car turned on its blinker, pulling over to the side of the road outside a small, one-story brick building that looked dark and deserted.

Ryan and Shane stepped out to meet the sheriff, who noticeably had his hand on his gun. Ryan’s feeling of unease grew. “Is this the, uh,” Ryan’s voice cracked and he swallowed. “Is this the police station?”

The sheriff nodded. “It’s just me. Small town, y’know?” He walked towards the building, Shane and Ryan following. Ryan heaved a sigh of relief when the sheriff turned on a light switch. Yellow, fluorescent lights flickered to life overhead, illuminating the station. It was tiny, the furniture and carpet distinctly 1980s in style. The sheriff led them down a narrow hallway into an office. “It’s not much,” he admitted. “But it should do for a couple hours.”

Shane glanced around before plopping himself down on a leather couch. Ryan sat in the plush chair behind the desk, toeing off his shoes. Shane glanced at the small wooden nameplate on the desk. “You’re Joshua Martins?”

The sheriff nodded. “Most people just call me Martins…And you boys are…?”

“Shane. And this is Ryan,” Shane gestured to Ryan, who was curled up in a ball on the chair, his eyelids already drooping.

“Well, Shane, try to get some sleep. I’ll stick around until morning,” Martins nodded at them before walking back down the hall.

Shane looked at Ryan, whose eyes were closed. Shane sighed, stretching out on the couch. His feet hung off the end, dangling over the armrest. It was better than sleeping in the car, Shane supposed, but barely.

——————

Ryan woke up first, weak sunlight streaming through the small, grimy windows directly into his eyes. He groaned, stretching his sore body. “Jesus, I’m getting old,” he muttered.

“Old man Bergara,” Shane agreed, his voice hoarse from sleep. He cleared his throat, moving into a seated position on the couch.

“Morning, fellas,” Martins walked in, holding two white styrofoam cups of coffee. Ryan nodded, standing up to take a cup and immediately downed half of it.

Shane grabbed a cup from where he was sitting, taking a sip and clearing his throat. “So, ready to hit the road?” He glanced between Martins and Ryan.

Martins glanced around uncomfortably, remaining silent for a long moment. He rubbed a hand down his face, looking exhausted. “You can’t leave,” he finally said.

“Uhhh, why not?” Ryan smiled nervously.

“Nobody can leave this town, don’t you get it?” The sheriff hissed this, gesturing broadly. “I’ve been here for ten years. I’ve tried to leave every fucking day for _ten years_. You can’t do it. I can’t help you,” he sighed. “I can help you guys find a place, and I can get you a gun, but that’s all I can do. Don’t go out after dark. Welcome to Chesterwick.” He smiled grimly.

Shane and Ryan made eye contact, both clearly thinking _what the fuck._

“Uh, look, Martins. I really appreciate the help, but we’re gonna try to find the highway and be on our way,” Shane replied, standing up. He tossed his cup into a small metal wastebasket and looked at Ryan pointedly. 

As they made their way down the hall, Martins called after them, “I know you gotta try. Just don’t stay out after dark. Find me when you give up, I’ll be here.”

Ryan walked quickly to the car, tense. He silently got into the passenger seat, Shane following into the driver’s seat. He started the car and turned to Ryan. “God, I can’t wait to get back to LA. Fuck these weirdos.”

Ryan didn’t reply immediately, gazing out the window at the tiny sheriff’s station, lost in thought. As Shane pulled the car onto the road, Ryan glanced at him, replying slowly, “Dude, you heard what he said…’Nobody can leave this town’?”

Shane scoffed. “Ry, the people in this town are total wackos. Like I said, it’s all moonshine and incest out here in rural America.”

Ryan still looked worried. “Look, I’m just telling you, dude, there’s something weird with this place.”

“Well, obviously. The people here are all nuts.”

Ryan just sighed, leaning his head against the window to watch the fields and trees blur past. They drove in silence for a solid hour before Shane slowly stopped the car in the middle of the road. 

Ryan looked up from the game he had been playing on his phone, looking around. “Dude,” he said quietly. “What the hell.”

They were stopped at the edge of town, houses visible several hundred yards in front of them. Even in the daylight, the town seemed utterly deserted.

Shane looked torn between confusion and frustration. “I don’t understand what the deal is, I literally just drove straight the whole time…I must’ve gotten turned around somewhere?”

Ryan turned to him. “Dude, I told you, there’s something going on…like literally everyone we’ve seen so far has said the same spooky bullshit about not being able to leave town.”

Shane’s frustration seemed to win, and he grimaced as he looked at Ryan. “Do you have some scientific explanation for us being trapped in some random little town? It’s Occam’s Razor, little guy. I’m sure I just got turned around, all these fields look the same. I’m probably just more tired than I thought.”

“Fine, then let’s switch,” Ryan looked annoyed, jamming his hat on his head before exiting the car. Shane sighed and followed suit. Once they were both settled back in the car, Ryan turned to Shane. “Watch the road for me. Make sure I don’t get turned around.”

Shane nodded once before slouching back in his seat, watching the road intently. Ryan drove silently, his knuckles white around the steering wheel, his left foot bouncing anxiously. Shane closely watched the rows of corn and deciduous trees as they passed. Another hour passed, and they were once again sitting on the outskirts of town.

They both remained silent as Ryan slowly pulled the car over onto the shoulder, and they both stared out the windshield. Ryan turned to Shane, his expression grimly satisfied. Shane continued to stare at the houses, his face slack with confusion. “I don’t understand,” he said shortly.

“Look, big guy, neither do I…but do you believe me now when I say that something weird is happening here?”

Shane just shook his head, still not looking at Ryan. “Now, what?” He sounded lost.

“We should go see Martins, see what he knows,” Ryan said firmly.

Shane shook his head again, like he was trying to clear his thoughts. “Okay, but I’m not agreeing that this is anything unnatural…we can try to make him take us to the highway if nothing else.”

Ryan just rolled his eyes as he pulled the car back onto the road. “Whatever you say, big guy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Martins is very obviously based on Hopper in Stranger Things.
> 
> Also, I've been listening to Hozier on repeat to set the mood.
> 
> Leave me some love, and come discuss these good boys with me on Tumblr at crawlacrossthesaltflats


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao remember that time I was like 'oh I'll try to post updates weekly!' .......And here I am, obsessively posting a chapter every 12 hours?
> 
> I guess I'm just living that quarantine life, listening to Hozier, frantically writing fanfic.

Ryan entered the sheriff’s station first, holding the door open for Shane, as he tentatively called into the building. “Hello? Sheriff Martins?”

Martins ambled down the hall, a lit cigarette in hand. “Took you less time than I’d have thought. I spent four straight days on those roads when I first came.”

Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but Shane spoke first. “Don’t you have a map or anything? Internet? Phones? Are all you people stuck in the dark ages?” Ryan elbowed him.

“Nobody has internet, nobody has a phone, and there are no maps in this town, as far as I can tell,” Martins sucked on his cigarette for a moment, blowing smoke over his shoulder. “You fellas want a drink?”

“It’s like 9 am,” Shane snorted. Martins just raised his eyebrows, taking another drag.

“I could use a drink,” Ryan decided. Martins nodded, his eyes crinkling in a half-smile. He walked towards his office, Ryan and Shane following. 

Martins sat in his chair, crushing his cigarette in a full ashtray on the desk, where it smoked gently. As Ryan and Shane sat on the couch, he pulled out a cheap bottle of whiskey. “You boys want it neat or you want some coffee?”

“Coffee would be good,” Shane sighed, rubbing his eyes, setting his glasses askew.

Martins left for a moment, returning with two steaming styrofoam cups. He poured a generous amount of whiskey in each before handing them to Shane and Ryan. Ryan nodded, taking a chug. Shane made a face before doing the same.

“Can you tell us what you know?” Ryan asked. “What is this place?” He ignored Shane’s pointed look of exasperation.

“I don’t know much. I came here in 2010. I was driving cross-country to a funeral,” Martins’ face twisted into a dark smile. “Never made it to the funeral. I got lost, ended up in this fucking town. I tried asking a woman for directions, and she looked at me like I was a fucking alien. Drove for four days. Every night I slept on the road…” he looked spooked as he cleared his throat. “Every damn night on those roads, something fucked with my car. It was practically wrecked by day four. I finally drove back into town, and met the mayor. Some creepy old fuck who told me he had a house and a job for me.” Martins shrugged. “I’ve been doing this since. Every day, I try to leave, and every day, I end up back here.”

Shane and Ryan were silent. Shane hid his look of skepticism in his coffee. Ryan seemed lost in thought, his coffee held loosely, forgotten.

Martins sighed. “Trust me, buddy,” he looked at Shane. “I know I sound like another small-town idiot who’s been hitting the drink too hard. But you know that tail light of yours was fine when you left. You can keep trying, but you’re stuck here.”

Shane looked annoyed. “Okay, so, what is it then? Give me some sort of reasonable, scientific explanation.”

Martins chuckled at this. “I don’t have any explanation. There isn’t one. Something’s just wrong with this town.”

Ryan spoke up. “What was out there last night?”

“I have no idea,” Martins replied, voice muffled as he lit another cigarette, leaning back in his chair. “Like I said, this town isn’t right.”

“So now what?” Ryan asked, draining his cup. Martins held up the bottle of whiskey questioningly, and Ryan shrugged, holding out his cup for more.

“Now, we get the fuck out of here.” Shane’s reply was firm.

“Dude, did you not hear anything he just said?” Ryan looked at Shane in disbelief. His cheeks were flushed from drinking, and Shane stared for a moment before glancing away.

“What, do you seriously just want us to stay in this town for the rest of our lives?” Shane looked frustrated.

“No, of course not,” Ryan rolled his eyes. “We’re gonna find a way out of here. We’ll figure out what the deal is with this place, and we’ll get out.”

Shane looked surprised for a moment before his expression smoothed over. Martins looked between them, considering. Ryan actually grinned, before saying, “We’re already professional ghost hunters, what’s one more spooky mystery for us to solve?”

Shane snorted. “I wouldn’t exactly call us professionals, little guy.”

Martins looked amused. “You two are ghost hunters?”

“Absolutely not,” Shane replied, as Ryan said, “Yep.” They turned to look at each other, Ryan grinning broadly, as Shane rolled his eyes.

Martins huffed out a laugh, taking another drag. He sighed a moment later, expression turning serious again. “This town is dangerous. And I’m not just talking about whatever’s out there at night. The people here are dangerous.”

“What about you?” Ryan asked.

“I keep my head down, don’t ask questions. I don’t know what’s going on in this place, and I don’t really want to.” Martins rubbed his eyes with one hand. “You boys go poking around, the town’s gonna fight back.”

“This big guy’ll protect me,” Shane quirked a smile at Ryan. “So, what now?”

Martins put out his cigarette and put away the whiskey. “I’ll get you guys a house and a gun, like I said. You don’t stand a chance out here alone.” He stood up, heading down the hallway, opening a closet. He rifled through it for a moment before pulling out an old, ornately carved shotgun. He offered it to Shane who put up his hands.

“I’ve never used a gun in my life, and I don’t plan on starting,” Shane shook his head.

“Just point it and pull the trigger. If you boys aren’t idiots...” Martins sounded skeptical. “Then you shouldn’t need this.”

Ryan reluctantly took the shotgun, holding it gingerly, like it might go off at any moment.

Martins snorted, quirking a smile at Ryan’s discomfort. “It’s not loaded right now. I’ll show you how to load it later.”

Right on cue, Ryan’s stomach growled fiercely. Shane huffed out a laugh.

“Let’s stop by Bess’s,” Martins took off for the front door. “It’s the only diner in town. Bessie makes a mean slice of pie.”

——————

Bessie was a plump middle-aged woman with a dry sense of humor. She was the most normal person Shane and Ryan had met so far in Chesterwick. They both wolfed down burgers, and Ryan finished with a slice of rhubarb pie, making obscene noises as he ate.

The three finished their coffee before Martins led the way into the parking lot, climbing into his police cruiser. Ryan and Shane drove slowly behind him through the quiet streets. They eventually pulled over in front of a dark two-story house with tall, leaded windows and a large, sagging porch.

“This place better have electricity,” Ryan commented glumly as he exited the car, gingerly removing the shotgun.

“It does,” Martins replied amiably as he walked towards them.

“So, what’s the deal?” Shane asked as they made their way towards the porch. “Like, who owns this place?”

“I mean, technically?” Martins walked up the front stairs, which groaned ominously under his weight. “Technically, nobody owns anything in this town. But this place is all yours.”

“Who’s been maintaining it then?” Shane frowned as they walked through the front door into a small, dark entryway. Weak sunlight was streaming through the diamond-paned windows. The house was furnished with a bizarre mixture of ornate late-19th-century and mid-20th-century pieces.

They entered a kitchen filled with rusted 1950s appliances with chipped yellow paint. Dust hung heavy in the air. The group stood silently for a moment before Martins finally turned to Shane with a sigh, replying, “Honestly? I have no idea. Sometimes I see the mayor enter random, deserted houses, but other than that…?” Martins just shrugged.

“This place is creepy,” Ryan commented, gazing around at the cobwebs and dust before sitting on a creaking, ancient wooden chair next to a worn table.

“If you wanna clean the place up, the general store should have some supplies,” Martins glanced down at Ryan, then back to Shane. He stepped closer, pitching his voice low. “Lock your doors at night, and keep that gun close. Be careful.” He glanced around nervously as he took a step back. “I should get going. You know where to find me if you need anything. I know you guys are gonna poke around no matter what I say, just…just please don’t be stupid.”

Shane snorted. “Telling this little guy not to be stupid is pointless.”

“Words can hurt, Madej,” Ryan huffed, quirking a smile.

Martins just shook his head, looking at them like they were both idiots. “I’ll see you fellas around.” Martins left.

Shane sat down in a squeaky, vinyl chair that had once been turquoise and was now just a sad, gray. He looked at Ryan across the table. “What now?”

Ryan shrugged. “Well, I guess we should get some food first? But I reaaaaally don’t wanna go back to that general store.” Ryan shuddered at the thought of the old man in the store.

“We should have enough food for, like, three days in the car,” Shane replied. “Where should we start our investigation, Detective Bergara?”  


Ryan grinned. “Let’s just follow our instincts. We can poke around, do some research?”

“How do you suggest doing research without the internet?”

  
  
Ryan looked uncertain. “Maybe they have a library? Otherwise, we can just ask around.”

  
  
Shane rolled his eyes. “Oh, yeah, I’m sure that’ll go over well with these weirdos. Hi, we’re just two city slickers that moved into your murder town, seen any g-g-g-ghosts lately?”

“‘Murder town’?”

“Literally every person we’ve met here has the makings of a serial killer.”

Ryan leaned back in his chair, looking skeptical. “What about Martins? Or Bessie?”

“Martins seems like he’s too much of a drunk to plan anything out, but I could see him losing his cool and going on a murderous rampage. And Bessie totally uses her cute little diner to trap innocent tourists. You think that burger was made of beef??”

Ryan looked vaguely nauseous, but he rolled his eyes. “Anyways,” he said firmly. “Let’s go drive around, look for a library?”

“Bud, we’re pretty low on gas, and I have yet to see a gas station in this shit hole. We should probably walk.”

Ryan looked concerned for a moment before huffing a laugh. “Never thought I’d hear you suggest walking over driving somewhere. Alright, so should we, uh, bring the gun?”

  
  
Shane looked at Ryan pointedly. “Are you asking me if we should bring a massive shotgun that neither of us can use to a library?”

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck, “Okay, so that sounds like a hard no.”

“I’m generally a hard no when it comes to guns,” Shane called over his shoulder as he made for the front door.

Ryan stood up to follow, exiting the front door onto the sad, mossy porch. The sky was now overcast with puffy gray clouds, the wind warm and ominous. “Dude, it better not rain on us.”

Shane glanced at the sky before throwing a sidelong grin at Ryan. “Aw, is this little guy scared of getting wet?”

“Fuck off, Madej,” Ryan rolled his eyes before leading the way onto the road. They walked down the shoulder of the road, ambling slowly down the quiet streets. Even in the daylight, the decrepit houses looked dark and forbidding. After several minutes of walking in silence, they had yet to see another person. 

“Does this town even have a library?” Ryan glanced at Shane.

“How would I know?”

Ryan shrugged. “Dude, I dunno. You’re the resident expert on the rural midwest.”

  
  
“Ry, I don’t think this town is exactly a normal midwestern town. Who’s to say if these people are even literate?”

  
  
“Martins sounds like he was just a normal guy…what if there are more people here like him? Like, people who just got trapped here?”

Shane looked uncomfortable, focused on kicking gravel down the road. He glanced at Ryan, opening his mouth to reply, but—

“Hi, wanna play?” A child was standing at the edge of a yard they were passing. She had a mass of curly, black hair filled with colorful barrettes and light brown skin. She was gazing at Ryan and Shane, a small smile on her face.

Ryan and Shane stood silent for a moment, too surprised to answer.

The smile was fading from her face, and Ryan crouched to respond, “Hi, uh, do you live here?” He indicated the faded white house behind her.

“Yep, this is my house. Wanna come in and play?”

“We shouldn’t play without asking your parents…are they around?”

“My dad is a ‘no-good scoundrel’.” The girl’s response was matter-of-fact. “But my mom’s inside. She’s cooking.”

“Alicia!” A woman bearing a striking resemblance to the little girl was hurrying towards them through the yard. She was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt which were covered in white patches of flour. “What did I tell you? No talking to strangers without me there!”

“Sorry, mom,” Alicia looked slightly abashed. Her mom hurried up to her, putting a protective hand on her shoulder.

“What are you doing here?” The woman gave Shane and Ryan a hard look.

Ryan swallowed. “Sorry, we’re, uh, we’re new to town?” The woman’s expression visibly softened. “Our car is low on gas, so we’re just walking. We were hoping to maybe find a library? Is there one in this town?”

The woman glanced around quickly before sighing. “Why don’t you come inside?” She turned without waiting for an answer, steering Alicia in front of her. Shane and Ryan shared a look before following after her. Her house was similar to the others they had been in, but it was cleaner and brighter. The woman bustled into the kitchen, which smelled like baking bread. “Coffee?” She threw a glance at Shane and Ryan.

“Uh, yeah, sure, coffee would be great, thanks.” Ryan nodded at her as she handed him a mug.

“Sit,” the woman commanded, indicating two stools at the counter. Shane and Ryan sat, and the woman silently looked at them for a moment. They could hear the little girl running around and talking to herself in another room. “You said you’re new?”

“Yeah, we got lost on our way to Boise,” Shane glanced at Ryan before looking back at the woman. “Do you know how to get out of here?”

The woman looked tense. “There’s no way out of here.”

Ryan considered her for a moment before asking, “Do you know what the deal is with this town?”

“No. And I’ve learned not to ask questions.” She gave Ryan a pointed look. “If you wanna survive in this town, you’ll do the same.”

Ryan looked like he was about to protest, but Shane spoke first. “How long have you been here?”

“Two years.” The woman looked down at her feet, her voice quiet and strained. When she looked back up, her face was hard. “I was running from my ex with Alicia. I was headed out to Seattle to meet my sister…” The woman’s voice faltered, becoming tremulous as she continued. “She probably thinks we’re dead.”

Ryan’s expression was grimly determined. “I’m sorry…I’m Ryan, this is Shane. We’re going to find a way out of here. We’ll get you out too.”

The woman sighed. “I’m Mona. And as much as I want to leave this nightmare…we can’t. It’s not safe, and I’m not putting Alicia in any more danger. We’ve had enough trouble.”

Shane gave Ryan a pointed look, and Ryan swallowed. “We won’t put you in danger. But I’m gonna find a way out of here.”

Mona nodded. “You do what you have to. But if you’re gonna start asking questions, I can’t be seen around you guys.”

“Why is everyone so scared? Who’s doing this?” Ryan looked at Mona, pleading.

Mona studied her feet. “I think you should go.”

Shane stood up, but Ryan stared at her, still determined. “Please, Mona—“

“No, I’m sorry, I wish I could help you, but you need to leave.”

“Ryan, c’mon,” Shane gently insisted as he headed towards the front door.

“Can you at least tell us if there’s a gas station here? Or a library?”

Mona sighed, her expression wary as she glanced at the open kitchen window. “You can buy gas at the general store. There’s no library, but city hall has some historic records.”

Ryan finally stood up, following Shane. “Thank you.” He nodded at Mona, who just shook her head, turning away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol I don't know how to write kids.
> 
> Also, I love Martins, he's my precious trash boy, and I will not hear otherwise.
> 
> Alsooo next chapter things get spooky again ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting weirder for the ghoul boys.
> 
> Been listening to the album Wasteland, Baby! on repeat while writing, so shoutout to swamp king Hozier for inspiring me <3

Ryan and Shane were driving slowly through the city streets, looking for the city hall. They had endured the hard stare of the old man in the general store to purchase gas and enough food for several days. He had stared at them suspiciously from behind the wooden counter, remaining silent the entire time they were in the store. Ryan desperately hoped he wouldn’t have to return. 

The sky remained overcast, the threat of rain heavy in the air. Shane drove slowly, seemingly lost in thought. Ryan stared avidly out the window. As they turned a corner, Ryan spoke up. “Is that it?” It was the third time he had asked, and Shane sighed, stopping the car. They were in front of an unmarked brick building set behind a parking lot that was overgrown with weeds.

“I dunno, Ry, it looks like every other building in this place.”

“I think this is it,” Ryan insisted, stepping out of the car.

Shane didn’t even bother pulling the car over, simply turning it off in the middle of the road before following Ryan.

Ryan’s movement was jittery and nervous, but his face was determined. He strode quickly up to the glass front door which was opaque with a thick layer of grime and dust. He pushed it open, glancing back at Shane as a bell above him jingled. The inside of the building was dirty and dark, the windows all coated with dirt.

“You must be Ryan and Shane.” A small, bald man was sitting behind a desk, his eyes glinting as he looked at them.

“Uh, yeah,” Ryan cleared his throat nervously, subconsciously stepping closer to Shane.

“I’m the mayor of Chesterwick. My name is Elias Coombs. Welcome. It’s so nice you boys decided to join our humble community here. You city boys are just what we needed. It will be nice to have a radio station again.”

“Uh, sorry?” Shane looked weirded out.

“Well, you boys will have to put in the work if you want to be part of our community. It’s been decades since we had a radio station here, and you boys should be perfect.” Coombs stood up, slowly walking around the counter to stand in front of them. Ryan backpedaled a couple steps into Shane, who put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Shane looked at Coombs, disbelief clear on his face. “Uh, we’re not staying here? Why would we stay in some random town?”

Ryan elbowed him. “Please excuse him,” Ryan’s face twisted into a nervous smile. “We’d love to run the radio station. I used to run a radio show back in college, so it should be easy. And thank you for your hospitality.” He swallowed. “We were, uh, wondering if there’s any history on this place? I just…just really love old towns, y’know, and would love to learn more about this town and its history and—“ This time, Shane elbowed Ryan to stop his nervous rambling.

Coombs gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, which were still dark and glinting, as he stared at Ryan, unblinking. “Unfortunately a fire destroyed all our records a few years ago. This was a farm town founded in the early 1800s. So much rich history, now lost.”

“How convenient,” Shane muttered, and Coombs’ smile twisted into something contorted and angry.

“Uh, okay, ummm, well, I guess we’ll just be going then, thanks, bye!” Ryan whipped open the door, dragging Shane behind him. Shane tugged his arm out of Ryan’s tight grip as they reached the car. Neither spoke until they were back in the car.

“Dude, what the fuck,” Ryan breathed, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans.

Shane shook his head, looking bemused. “You can’t tell me you actually plan on running a fucking radio station like we actually live here?”

Ryan shook his head. “I dunno. I mean, if it keeps that creepy old fuck from bothering us, then yeah. I don’t even think that guy was human, did you see his eyes?”

Shane rolled his eyes. “Ry, he was creepy as fuck, I’ll give you that. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t human.” Shane’s face quirked into a teasing grin. “You think he was a demon, don’t you?”

“Shut up,” Ryan grumbled, crossing his arms.

“So now what?” Shane glanced sidelong at Ryan.

Ryan sighed, looking out the window at the quickly darkening streets. “I dunno. It’s starting to get late, but I don’t wanna give up yet…maybe we could try talking to Martins again?”

Shane shrugged. “Whatever you say, Mulder.”

——————

The police station was unlocked, but seemed to be utterly deserted. After poking around for a few minutes, calling for Martins, Ryan turned to Shane, looking frustrated. “So much for that.”

Shane sighed, leading the way to the front door. Darkness had fallen at this point, the overcast skies and lack of streetlights casting the entire town in a shroud of black. Ryan and Shane were walking slowly through the darkened parking lot towards the car when a piercing noise made them freeze. A long, multi-tonal wailing, almost mechanical, lasted for several seconds, and Ryan could feel goosebumps rising on his arms, his ears ringing in the silence that followed. He stared at Shane in the darkness, eyes wide.

“Shane, what—“

“It was probably just a moose,” Shane’s face was calm, but his voice was hushed, clearly nervous.

“Dude, we’re in _Iowa_ —“

“Let’s just get in the car,” Shane interrupted firmly, walking closer to Ryan.

Ryan looked shaken as he climbed into the car. “I wanna go home.”

Shane reached over and squeezed Ryan’s hand for a few seconds. “I know, little guy, me too. We’ll find a way out of here. I’m sure that was just, like, a raccoon orgy or something.”

Ryan wheezed. “Dude, gross.” His smile was still taut and nervous.

“Actually, it kinda sounded like you when you’re scared,” Shane grinned as he pulled the car onto the road.

“Fuck off, Madej,” Ryan laughed, his expression of fright twisting into fond exasperation.

Shane slowly drove towards the house they had been given, his headlights cutting through the pitch dark. He glanced at Ryan. “You used to be a radio DJ?”

  
  
Ryan grinned ruefully. “Yeah, I was on at like 2 am, it wasn’t exactly a— SHANE STOP!” Ryan yelled, pointing at the windshield. Alicia darted in front of the car, freezing, staring at them blankly.

_Thump._

“Fuck,” Shane whispered, slamming on the breaks. “What did I…?”

“It was Alicia,” Ryan’s voice was strained. He felt nauseous as he fumbled with the door handle, quickly climbing out of the car. Shane followed, and they stood in front of the car, staring.

There was nothing.

“Shane, I saw her—“

“Ryan, I know, I felt the car hit something, but—“ he trailed off, looking at the front bumper, which was dented. Shane bent closer, squinting at something caught in the grill of the car. Ryan squatted next to him, reaching to pull out a chunk of thick, bloody fur.

“Dude, what—“

“Are you sure it was Alicia? It looks like we just hit an animal or something…” Shane sounded uncertain, staring at the fur which was smearing blood on Ryan’s fingers.

Ryan dropped the fur, wiping his hand frantically on his pants as he stood up. He looked around in the darkness, silent for a moment. “It was her.”

“Ry, it’s dark, I’m sure it was just—“

“I’m telling you, it was her. Her house is literally right there.” Ryan pointed in the darkness at the closest house.

“Ryan, it was just an animal.” Shane left no room for argument as he turned around to get back in the car.

Ryan stared after him in disbelief. He felt his chest clench in anger, and he got in the passenger seat, slamming the door closed harder than necessary. He stared out the passenger window silently as Shane slowly began to drive again. 

Ryan finally turned to Shane, his face tight. “This isn’t our show, this isn’t some fucking game—“  
  
“Ryan—” Shane sighed.

“No, shut the fuck up. I know you need to be the super cool, skeptical asshole on camera, but there’s no one here to fucking judge you. If we’re gonna make it out of here, you need to stop treating me like I’m just some paranoid idiot—“

“Ryan, I don’t think—“ Shane’s voice was small as he stopped the car outside their house.

“Just stop. Stop treating this like a fucking joke.” Ryan got out and slammed the door, rocking the car. He walked quickly into the house, leaving Shane sitting in the car, staring after him.

“Fuck,” Shane hissed, pressing his forehead to the steering wheel for a moment.

He followed after Ryan to find him standing at the kitchen counter, his face flushed and tight with frustration, mechanically eating a granola bar. He stared straight ahead, not looking at Shane. Shane walked in close, standing directly in front of Ryan.

“Ry, please, just listen for a second.” Shane’s voice was quiet and serious. “I’m sorry. I don’t think you’re an idiot, I’ve never thought that. I’m sorry I’ve been enough of an asshole to make you think that.” Shane sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face. “I don’t like this place. I think there’s something really fucking wrong here, and I’m— Ry, I’m scared.”

Ryan finally looked up at Shane, his expression softening. He silently stepped in, burying his face in Shane’s shoulder, sighing as Shane hugged him tightly. “Sorry,” Ryan’s voice was muffled against Shane. He lifted his head to look at Shane, feeling his chest clench at the look on Shane’s face. “I’m sorry. You’re not an asshole. I’m scared too,” Ryan admitted quietly. “We need to stick together if we’re gonna get out of here.”

“I know, bud.” Shane ruffled Ryan’s hair before stepping away to grab a granola bar. “Wanna go do something stupid?”

Ryan quirked a smile. “What d’you have in mind?”

“We should break into the town hall.”

“You’re right, that’s incredibly stupid,” Ryan grinned. “Let’s go.”

——————

They were driving through the dark once again, winding through deserted streets. Shane pulled onto the cracked, uneven concrete of the town hall parking lot, silently turning off the car. He turned to Ryan, who once again looked mildly terrified. “I didn’t think to bring a flashlight.” Shane’s voice was hushed.

“I have my phone, we should be able to use that,” Ryan ran a hand through his hair, huffing out a sigh. He seemed to steel himself before climbing out of the car. He and Shane crept towards the dark building.

Ryan paused outside the door, looking up at Shane with wide eyes. Shane sighed, “I’ll go first.” Ryan swallowed and nodded.

Shane winced as the bell jingled at the open door, freezing for a moment before stepping inside, holding the door open for Ryan. He reached up and carefully held the bell out of the way, swinging the door shut silently. The darkness was absolute, and Shane could hear Ryan’s shallow, uneven breaths. A bright light blinked on, as Ryan turned on the flashlight on his phone.

“So, what’re we looking for?” Shane whispered.

Ryan shrugged. “I didn’t believe that mayor asshole. Mona said there were records here. We should try to find them.”

Ryan crept forward, passing the desk to make his way down a dark hallway. He quietly opened the first door they came to, the hinges creaking loudly in the heavy silence. Shane followed closely behind Ryan as he stepped into the room, shining his light around furniture covered in white sheets. Ryan handed his phone to Shane. “Give me some light,” he commanded as he started pulling the sheets off furniture. One dusty sheet revealed a large, ornate wooden desk. Ryan squatted in front of it and started pulling drawers open, digging through yellowed sheets of paper.

“Anything?” Shane asked quietly.

“I dunno…” Ryan was slowly scanning the crumbling paper, squinting in the darkness. “These look like…old deeds? Or something…they’re all made out to some guy Samuel Coombs?”

“Like, Coombs, like the mayor?” Shane asked.

“I dunno…these dates go back to like 1820.” Ryan set the papers back in the desk, opening the rest of the drawers before shaking his head and standing up. “Nothing else. Let’s try another room.”

He and Shane quickly pulled the sheets back over the furniture before heading back into the hall. They continued towards the next door, which just opened to an empty closet. Ryan squinted down the hallway, eyes straining in the dark. 

_Tap, tap, tap_

Ryan and Shane froze, looking at each other. “You heard that, right?” Ryan’s voice was barely audible. Shane nodded mutely. Ryan grabbed Shane’s arm as they continued forwards. One more door, at the end of the hall. Ryan quietly swung it open. Stairs leading down into pitch dark, the ceiling low and covered in cobwebs.

Ryan felt his heart in his throat as he and Shane slowly creaked down the rickety wooden stairs into some sort of dirty, dark basement. Shane swung the light around, and Ryan let out a strangled yelp as the light passed over a small mass of pale flesh. For just the briefest moment, they saw what looked like a naked child, turned away from them, crouched like an animal, its head massive and misshapen. Ryan’s grip on Shane’s arm was painful, and Shane felt his chest tighten as he frantically moved the light back to where the horrific thing had been. Nothing. He could hear Ryan breathing quickly, his arm aching from Ryan’s desperate, sweaty grasp. He swung the light around them in a full circle. There was nothing there. The basement was empty.

“Shane, did you—“

  
  
“I saw it.” They were both whispering, practically standing on top of each other. “We should go.” Shane’s face was pale, his eyes wide. Ryan glanced up and felt even worse upon seeing Shane’s expression.

They scrambled up the stairs, tripping over each other, Ryan still holding Shane’s arm. They quickly strode down the hallway, Ryan just in front of Shane, now holding his hand tightly. He froze as they entered the front room, Shane stumbling into him. It was the mayor. 

Coombs’ eyes reflected green and red in the light of Ryan’s phone, looking like a cat in the dark. His expression looked cragged and twisted, terrifying in the poor light. “You shouldn’t be here.” Coombs took a step towards them, and Shane pushed Ryan behind him.

“We were just leaving,” Shane said firmly. “I thought I dropped something when we came here earlier, but no luck.”

“Breaking and entering is not looked upon kindly in this town,” Coombs took another step closer, and Shane held his ground. 

“It won’t happen again,” Shane replied, his face stony. He pulled Ryan along behind him as he edged towards the door. Coombs said nothing, watching them as they quickly circled around him, the door jingling as they practically ran outside. They strode quickly and silently to the car, still clutching hands. Shane waited as Ryan climbed in the passenger side before running to the driver’s side, throwing himself in the car.

Neither spoke, as Shane peeled out of the parking lot, speeding aimlessly in the dark. After a few minutes, they were driving out of town.

“Shane, where are you going?”

Shane remained silent, speedometer creeping up past 70, 80, pushing 90, as fields rushed past them. 

“Shane,” Ryan’s voice was pleading.

“I’m getting the fuck out of here,” Shane stared at the road.

“Shane, you know we can’t—“

“We need to get out of this place,” Shane’s knuckles were clenched white on the steering wheel. “I’m getting you out of here.” Ryan reached over tentatively to put a hand on Shane’s arm. Shane jumped at the touch, the car swerving dangerously. He ignored Ryan, still speeding through the dark. Then, they were back on the edge of town.

Shane silently stopped the car, resting his head on the steering wheel. Suddenly, he started laughing, the sound edging on hysteria.

“Uh, Shane—“ Ryan was clearly concerned.

Shane struggled to speak around his laughter as he turned to Ryan. “You were right. All that paranormal shit you believe in?” Shane trailed off into chuckles as he started to drive back into town.

Ryan stared at Shane, looking lost. “Shane, big guy…maybe there’s some explanation for what we saw, like, I dunno, maybe it’s just some sort of mass hallucination or like, I dunno, maybe there’s radioactive or chemical waste that’s fucking up the people in this town, or—“

  
  
“Ry, are _you_ seriously trying to convince me there’s a rational explanation for this bullshit?” Shane pulled the car over in front of their house, giving Ryan a pointed look of disbelief. “You can’t possibly believe that.”

Ryan looked determined, staring at Shane. “Of course I don’t believe there’s any reasonable explanation for this bullshit. But _you_ need to keep it the fuck together.”

Shane looked annoyed as he left the car, and Ryan followed. “Why do I need to keep it together? Isn’t this what you wanted, for me to see something that would make me believe?” The entered the house, Shane clicking on the lights as they made their way into the living room.

Ryan huffed, clearly frustrated, throwing himself down on a hideous floral couch. “Dude, of course I always wanted you to believe. But not if you’re gonna lose your fucking mind over it. Look, big guy, I need you.” This last part was quiet.

Shane sighed, sitting next to Ryan. “I’m not gonna leave you, Ry.” He paused, biting his nails anxiously for a few moments, before turning to face Ryan. “But whatever the fuck we saw was…” He trailed off.

Ryan looked at Shane. “It was fucked up. I know. But we balance each other out. We need to keep it together if we’re gonna make it out of here.”

Shane leaned back, studying the cracked ceiling. “I’ll keep it together. I just need to process whatever the fuck just happened out there.”

“Wanna get wasted?”

Shane looked at Ryan in disbelief. “With what, exactly? Also, what happened to keeping it together?”

Ryan shrugged, grinning. “I stole some of Martins’ whiskey when we were looking for him.”

Shane put a hand over his heart dramatically, voice climbing into a breathy Southern drawl. “Ryan Bergara, why I _never—_ “

“Shut up, asshole,” Ryan was laughing. “C’mon, we should be safe inside. Let’s get blasted.”

“You don’t gotta tell me twice,” Shane quirked a smile. “You know I love me some whiskey.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me some love, babes <3
> 
> Also come freak out with me over spooky things on Tumblr at crawlacrossthesaltflats.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys get whiskey drunk and run through some spooky fields
> 
> Also, can I just say that running through cornfields is so achingly midwestern? Like, this entire story is definitely a low-key love letter to the midwest from my childhood self.

Ryan and Shane were both sprawled out on the floor, staring at the ceiling as they argued loudly.

“Dude, I swear to god, there’s some very compelling evidence—“

“‘ _Compelling evidence_ ’?” Shane rolled onto his side, gazing at Ryan’s profile, his expression fond.

“ _Dude,_ ” Ryan rolled to face Shane, breathing whiskey into his face. “I swear, the skunk ape—“ Shane snorted. Ryan continued, voice insistent. “The skunk ape is totally real! There’s footage, and even the Smithsonian published an article about it—“

“Bud, I don’t need access to the internet to know the Smithsonian wouldn’t endorse the existence of some southern hick Bigfoot knock-off.”

“Okay,” Ryan admitted. “So, maybe they denied its existence, but…stop laughing, asshole!” Ryan was grinning reluctantly as Shane laughed at him. They stared at each other, grinning stupidly, and Ryan felt his face flush.

“Man,” Ryan rolled onto his back again, making the room spin uncomfortably for a moment. “I’d straight-up murder someone for some Chipotle.” 

“God, or some Taco Bell?” Shane rolled onto his back as well.

They both fell silent for several minutes, and Ryan could feel himself nodding off.

“Okay, little guy, let’s get you into bed,” Shane heaved himself up with a groan, pausing as the room spun. He reached down to grasp Ryan’s hands, pulling him to his feet. Ryan whined in protest as Shane put an arm around his waist, dragging Ryan up the creaking stairs to the second floor. They entered a small bedroom, Shane depositing Ryan onto a four-poster bed with a huff. He pushed Ryan over. “C’mon, help me get your jeans off.” Ryan grumbled as he fumbled with his button, and Shane helped him clamber out of his pants. Shane shucked off his own jeans before collapsing beside Ryan.

“I’m gonna feel so much regret tomorrow,” Ryan moaned.

Shane huffed a quiet laugh. “I’m already regretting everything.”

——————

Ryan woke up with Shane’s long limbs wrapped tightly around him. Ryan felt his stomach churning, but he was loathe to move from his comfortable position. Shane seemed to wake a moment later, huffing into Ryan’s hair. “So much regret,” he groaned.

“Same,” Ryan mumbled.

“Fuck, I don’t even think we have tylenol.”

“Please tell me this dump has a working shower,” Ryan dragged himself out of bed, looking vaguely sick.

“There’s a tub, I saw it when I was peeing yesterday.”

Ryan snorted. “Great, nothing like sitting in my own filth.”

  
  
“Aren’t you a ray of fucking sunshine,” Shane called to Ryan’s retreating back, his eyes already closed. He quickly dozed off again.

It was considerably later when Shane woke again, golden late-morning sunlight streaming weakly through the dusty, lead-paned window. He breathed deeply, smiling absently at the scent of bacon.

“I knew the smell of food would wake your lazy ass up.” Shane jumped, looking up to see Ryan grinning at him smugly.

“Since when can you cook?” Shane dragged himself to his feet, stretching with a groan.

Ryan looked defensive, crossing his arms over his chest. “I stopped by Bessie’s,” he admitted.

“Ryan, I dunno if we should be going out alone.”

Ryan sighed, leading the way downstairs into the kitchen. “You’re probably right,” he agreed, sitting down. “I was fucking hungover and hungry, though. And Bessie is just a nice old lady.”

“Unfortunately, we probably shouldn’t make a habit of getting blasted in this creepy shit hole,” Shane commented, regretful. He began earnestly shoveling food into his mouth, as Ryan looked absently out the window, sipping coffee from a cheap styrofoam takeaway cup.

“So, what’s on the schedule today?” Shane asked, leaning back in his creaky chair, after finishing his omelet in record time.

“I figured we could check out the fields and farms around here,” Ryan looked at Shane. “If there’s something out there preventing us from leaving, a closer look couldn’t hurt.”

Shane nodded, reaching for the car keys sitting on the counter.

“Shane, buddy?” Ryan was fighting a smile.

“What’s up?”

“Are you gonna put pants on before we leave, or…?”

Shane’s ears turned red as he glanced down at his boxers. “Yeah, gimme a sec,” he mumbled before running back upstairs, Ryan laughing behind him.

Several minutes later, they were driving past the outskirts of town, the windows down. Crisp morning air whipped gently through the windows, and they both felt moderately less hungover breathing in the fresh air. Shane slowly pulled the car onto the shoulder. “Here?” He asked, looking over his sunglasses at Ryan.

“Why not,” Ryan replied, shrugging before he exited the car.

They stood at the edge of a field of tall corn. The air was silent, apart from the rustling of corn stalks brushing each other in the gentle wind.

“Notice anything weird?” Shane asked quietly, stepping close to Ryan.

“It’s…quiet?” Ryan sounded uncertain, glancing up at Shane, who was grimacing. “Like, too quiet for summer.” Now that Ryan had mentioned it, the lack of bird song and buzzing insects seemed deafening in their absence.

“Well…here goes nothing.” Ryan glanced at Shane nervously before diving into the corn. Shane followed Ryan into the row he had chosen at random, both quickly enveloped on all sides by green leaves and hard ears of corn. The corn was tall enough that it dwarfed even Shane. Shane quickened his pace, worried about losing Ryan.

They walked for a while, accompanied by only the sound of rustling leaves and their quiet breathing. Shane started to feel unnerved, worrying about how far the field stretched. Finally, they broke free of the corn, standing at the edge of a field of prairie grass. Roughly 200 yards from them stood a solitary wooden barn, part of the roof caved in.

“Should we check it out?” Ryan’s voice was hushed.

“Yeah, we might as well,” Shane replied quietly, starting forward towards the decrepit building. He walked briskly towards the massive barn doors, feeling uncomfortably exposed after the close confines of the cornfield. As Shane grew closer, he slowed at the sight of a rusted chain wound tightly around the door handles, a massive padlock holding it together.

Ryan swore quietly. “We should’ve brought tools.”

Shane snorted. “Sorry, didn’t think to bring my bolt cutters.”

“Fuck off,” Ryan quirked a smile. “Let’s see if there’s another way in.”

They slowly circled the barn. The windows were set high above the ground, far out of reach. A small door in the side of the barn was similarly locked. Shane sighed as they finished circling the barn.

“Now what?” Ryan huffed, looking at Shane.

Shane shrugged. “We keep going, I guess.” He headed towards the field of soybeans beyond the prairie, carefully stepping over plants.

Ryan quirked a smile at Shane’s careful steps. “You know, it probably doesn’t matter if we step on the plants.”

“There’s no need to be a dick, the plants didn’t do anything to me.”

Ryan just shook his head, following Shane’s careful path. They walked for several minutes until they spotted another barn in the distance. They simultaneously made a beeline for the old wooden building without having to discuss it. Ryan groaned in frustration at the sight of a similar chain and padlock.

“Let’s check it out, anyway,” Shane said, sounding resigned. They again circled the barn slowly, Shane freezing at the sight of a paned glass window within reach. “Ry, c’mere,” Shane beckoned.

Ryan walked closer, and Shane grabbed him around the knees, grunting as he hoisted Ryan up towards the window.

Ryan let out a strangled noise as he was hefted into the air. “Jesus, Madej, some warning?”

“What d’you see?” Shane asked, his voice strained with effort.

Ryan cupped his hands on either side of his eyes, squinting desperately through the dusty window into the dark barn. “I dunno, it just looks like a…like a fucking barn? I mean, there’s some stuff in there, but I can’t really see…” Shane lowered Ryan to the ground, panting slightly, before rubbing his now sweaty palms down his jeans.

“Let’s keep going, maybe there’s a better window.” They continued around the barn, Shane running up to another window, this one missing a pane of glass. Ryan followed closely behind him, gesturing insistently to Shane, who rolled his eyes before hefting Ryan into the air again. They were silent for a minute, Shane taking deep, heavy breaths, his arms starting to quiver.

“This is…weird,” Ryan finally commented, as Shane lowered him to the ground. “I mean, I dunno a lot about farms, but I think it’s weird?”

“You gonna elaborate?” Shane asked impatiently, pushing his sunglasses up into his hair to squint at Ryan.

Ryan rolled his eyes before continuing, “So there was, like, normal farm shit, like an old tractor and a bunch of hay, but there were also these metal barrels? Like a bunch of them…and there was a, uh, gas mask on a table? Like, an old-timey one, like, with the round goggles?”

“Yeah, that’s not normal farm shit,” Shane grinned. His smile faded as he peered at the barn. “I wish we could get in.”

  
  
“I could maybe fit through the window…?”

  
  
“Bergara, I know you’re tiny, but that hole’s like a foot wide. Your beefy shoulders would never make it.”

  
  
Ryan snorted. “Okay, fine, so…should we just keep going?”

Shane sighed. “Yeah, I guess…damn, I should’ve thought to bring water.”

Ryan grimaced. “Same, my mouth tastes like ass.”

“Charming.” Shane grinned, diving into another field of corn stalks.

“Only for you, baby,” Ryan smiled, following Shane.

They walked for a while longer, the sun now climbing high in the sky. Ryan felt the beginnings of apprehension creep in as they walked further into the silent field. Shane stopped suddenly, Ryan bumping into him and stumbling slightly. 

“Hey, big guy, what—“

  
  
“Gross,” Shane leaned to the side, pointing down at the ground, giving Ryan a clear view to the blackbird that lay on the ground in front of them, clearly dead. Its eye sockets were empty, dark blood crusted in the feathers around them.

“Ugh,” Ryan agreed, with feeling. 

Shane continued on, stepping carefully over the bird. A moment later, he stopped short again, Ryan narrowly avoiding bumping into him. “Another one,” Shane sounded uneasy now.

Ryan peered around Shane to see another bird, almost identical in its pose and missing eyes. Ryan swallowed. “God, there better not be more…”

“I got some bad news for you, bud,” Shane replied faintly, peering around the corn, noticing more tiny bodies scattered on the dirt. Shane walked forward, slower now, his steps carefully taking him over the dead birds. Shane stopped short _again,_ Ryan grumbling as he bumped into Shane. Shane took a tentative step to the side, and Ryan could see what made him stop. They stood on the edge of a field of tall grass, littered with what seemed to be thousands of dead birds. Ryan didn’t know shit about birds, but he knew he saw at least five different species. All of them were stiffly dead, legs splayed out, eyes missing.

“Okay, so fuck this,” Ryan said fiercely, his eyes wide.

“Yeah, I gotta agree with you on that one, bud,” Shane’s voice was absent as he gazed around them.

They stood in silence as time stretched, both uncertain what to say or do. Ryan suddenly whipped his head around to look at Shane, tilting his head for a moment, expression uncertain. “Do you…do you hear that?” His voice was hushed.

Shane turned to look at Ryan, freezing when he heard it: very distantly, the faint rumble of an engine. “We need to go,” Shane said firmly, voice quiet. He grabbed Ryan’s hand and plunged back into the corn, walking quickly, definitely stepping on some dead birds. The sound was growing louder far too quickly, and Shane and Ryan broke into a run, their clutched hands now slippery with sweat. They broke out into the soybean field, feeling horribly exposed. Shane could feel his lungs burning, and he glanced back at Ryan, who seemed entirely too composed.

“Fucking jock,” Shane huffed out on a heavy exhale. Ryan laughed, breathy, and slightly hysterical.

They could see the first field of corn quickly approaching, and Shane felt a wash of relief as they were once again swallowed by plants. The engine was now alarmingly loud, approaching from the direction they had just come. 

“We’re not gonna make it,” Ryan panted.

“We gotta try,” Shane grunted back.

Then, finally, they broke free, standing on the road. “Get in, now,” Shane commanded, releasing Ryan’s sweaty hand to fumble with the keys, quickly getting in and starting the car. Soon, they peeled out, back onto the road, gravel kicking up behind them.

Shane and Ryan were both panting, faces covered in a sheen of sweat. Shane glanced over to see Ryan grinning at him, mouth hanging slightly open with his heavy breathing. Shane started to huff out laughter in relief, and soon they were both in hysterics, laughing stupidly.

“Jesus, you can move, little guy,” Shane was grinning so broadly his face hurt.

“ _Dude,_ you’re talking about me moving? I didn’t know your fucking scarecrow legs could move that _fast—_ “

“Oh hardy har, Bergara,” Shane rolled his eyes, glancing at Ryan, who was still grinning stupidly at him.

They drove in silence for a while, both feeling light with the rush of adrenaline and endorphins. Eventually, Shane was pulling back into town, driving aimlessly.

“Let’s talk to Martins,” Ryan said decisively as they approached the sheriff’s station.

Shane pulled over onto the shoulder, looking at Ryan, his expression now more serious. “Ry, I know you like the guy, but, like…how do we know we can trust him?”  


“I dunno. He and Mona seem like the only normal people in this town. And maybe Bessie.”

Shane snorted. “You just like her food.”

  
  
“Whatever,” Ryan muttered. He cleared his throat. “Anyways, I dunno, maybe it’s just instinct? But, like, Martins seems to hate this town even more than us. I just feel like we can trust him.”

Shane shrugged. “You’re the boss, little guy. Let’s go see if he has any thoughts on bird genocide.”

  
  
Ryan huffed out a reluctant laugh as he climbed out of the car. They both walked inside, Ryan calling out tentatively, “Martins?” He walked slowly, listening for a response. He jumped as a loud snore came down the hall. 

Shane rolled his eyes, ruffling Ryan’s hair fondly. “Hey, Martins! Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!” Shane strode down the hall, his voice obnoxiously loud.

Shane entered the office, to see Martins grimacing, squinting at him. “The fuck you want?”

Shane grinned, and Ryan entered next to him, elbowing him. “Hey, Martins, sorry about this asshole.” Ryan looked at Shane pointedly; Shane was unrepentant. Ryan looked back towards Martins, who still looked distinctly grumpy. “We got stuff to tell you."

  
  
Martins grumbled, lighting up a cigarette. “Does whatever you wanna tell me have to do with the poking around I told you boys specifically not to do?”

  
  
“Obviously,” Shane grinned genially.

Martins sighed, long-suffering, taking a drag. “Fine. I’ve checked this place over for bugs, we should be fine to talk here?”

  
  
“For _bugs_?” Ryan sounded intrigued.

“Yeah, like, uh tiny microphones and cameras and shit?” Martins looked at Ryan like he was an idiot.

“Dude, I know _that,_ I just didn’t realize this hick town was capable of using technology.”

Martins gave Ryan a level look. “You’d be surprised.” He took another drag. “Anyways, what is it that has you boys so excited you’re disturbing me at this hour?”

  
  
“It’s 1 pm,” Shane commented cheerfully. Martins didn’t even look at him.

“Okay, so we found something.” Ryan looked conspiratorial, his excitement palpable. Martins raised his eyebrows expectantly. “So, first, we tried breaking into town hall—“ Martins groaned, rubbing a hand down his face, rasping over his stubble. “And we saw and heard some, uh, some fucked up shit? But anyways, then today we decided to explore the fields around this place, and we saw, uh—“

  
  
“Like a shitload of dead birds,” Shane supplied helpfully.

“Yeah,” Ryan nodded emphatically. “Like, literally thousands of birds, all dead, no fucking eyes? And then there was this barn—“

  
  
“It had a bunch of metal barrels and an old-fashioned gas mask?” Shane shrugged.

“And then we heard something coming towards us—“

  
  
“Not anything weird, it just sounded like some country bumpkin was chasing us down in his tractor,” Shane finished, looking at Martins.

Martins was gazing at them like they were aliens. “You boys are dumb as fuck.”

“You say the sweetest things,” Ryan quirked a smile.

Martins took several long drags from his cigarette before snuffing it out. He leaned back in his chair, looking at them again. “So, I lied before.”

Ryan looked suddenly nervous, glancing at Shane, who was tense. “About what?” Ryan asked slowly.

Martins snorted. “Stop looking at me like I’m the one who killed those fucking birds. I meant I lied about knowing things about this town. Don’t get me wrong, I still have no idea what’s actually going on here. But…I’ve seen…things.”

“Like what?” Ryan asked quickly.

Martins sighed. “Fucked up things. Dead animals, fucked up monsters that I can’t even describe…” he shuddered before continuing. “I’ve seen people in hazmat suits…there was this girl a while back, came here asking all kinds of questions like you two. It was broad fucking daylight, she’s walking down the street, and these three people in hazmat suits grab her, kicking and screaming, and drag her into a van. That was three years ago, and I haven’t seen her since.”

Ryan looked fascinated, but he glanced at Shane to see his face drawn and nervous. “Hey, big guy, we’re gonna be fine.”

  
  
“Ry, how can you say that? This shit seems like it’s a little bigger than just another fake ghost hunt…”

Ryan looked annoyed, frowning. “Dude, I know this is more serious than our show. I’m not an idiot. I also know that if we stick together, we’ll be fine.”

  
  
“You can’t know that,” Martins spoke up, darkly. “The only reason I survived this long is 'cause I keep my head down. You two need to put on a better show, and being so obvious—“

  
  
“We’re not—“ Ryan began to protest before Martins cut him off.

“Don’t. The fucking mayor saw you two in city hall in the middle of the night. That’s, like, the definition of obvious.”

“We can’t just give up,” Ryan said firmly.

Martins quirked a small smile. “I’m not telling you to give up; I know that would be pointless. I’m telling you to be more careful. Take it slow, do your job, stopping interrogating the townsfolk.”

  
  
“We weren’t ‘interrogating’ anyone.” Shane scoffed.

“People talk. You two have been asking a lot of questions, and it’s making people uneasy.” Martins sighed. “Just take a step back, slow down.”

Ryan looked like he was about to protest, but after a moment he just nodded. “Okay.”

“Good,” Martins smiled again. “Now fuck off, let an old man sleep.”

Shane snorted and led the way out of the station, back into their car. As soon as the doors closed, Ryan turned to Shane. “We’re not taking a step back, right?”

  
  
Shane smiled, his eyes crinkling at Ryan’s earnest expression. “Of course not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Martins thinks they're both idiots, but he loves them.
> 
> Leave me some love, spooky babes <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys discuss the skunk ape and run into some trouble...
> 
> Also, I know nothing about how radio broadcasting works don't @ me

Shane and Ryan were sitting in a dusty recording studio that looked like it hadn’t been touched since the late 1960s, equipment included. Ryan had suggested they try broadcasting something, telling Shane that it would be a good way to blend in. Ryan honestly wasn’t sure if it was Martins’ warnings that made him suggest it, or if he just missed making Unsolved. Probably both. 

Shane looked around before swiveling his tiny office chair to face Ryan. “Well? You’re the former radio DJ, how do we use this shit?”

Ryan shrugged. “Dude, I dunno, this stuff is all ancient. When I worked at the station, we’d just pop in some CDs and talk into microphones. I didn’t have much to do with the tech stuff.”

“Well, I guess we could just start hitting switches?” Ryan and Shane proceeded to press every button within reach until a red light lit up overhead under a faded sign that read ‘BROADCASTING’.

“I think we got it?” Ryan sounded uncertain. “What exactly are we gonna talk about? We don’t exactly have a ton of CDs available…”

  
  
“Just act natural. Pretend we’re doing Unsolved.”

Ryan huffed a breath, sitting down. Once Shane was sitting across from him, Ryan dragged a large, dusty microphone closer, switching it on. “Uh, hi guys, this is Ryan Bergara, I’m here with…”

  
  
“Shane Madej,” Shane spoke evenly into his microphone.

“We’re here today to discuss the, uh…” Ryan faltered, realizing he had not decided on a topic.

“The myth of the…skunk ape,” Shane sounded extremely reluctant.

Ryan brightened immediately, quickly falling into his familiar routine. “Today on Unsolved, we will be discussing the mysterious case of the skunk ape, otherwise known as the swamp ape, the stink ape, or the Florida Bigfoot. This creature is said to be similar to Bigfoot or the Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest. However, the skunk ape reportedly roams the state of Florida—“

“Of course it does,” Shane snorted.

Ryan continued, ignoring the interruption. “The first recorded sighting of this creature dates all the way back to 1818 in Apalachicola, Florida, where settlers reported a monkey the size of a man stalking local fishermen. Numerous sightings were reported in the 1960s and 70s, including one report from suburban neighborhoods in Dade County.”

Shane looked flabbergasted. “Did you just recite all that from memory?”

Ryan grinned at him. “I did a lot of research. I was planning on making an episode on the skunk ape for one of our desk shows.”

Shane grimaced. “Christ, you’re a nerd, Bergara. Anyways, continue…”

“One local expert even founded the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters—“

“The _what,_ now?”

Ryan struggled not to laugh, his voice wheezy as he continued. “This local expert claims to have footage of a sighting from 2000—"

  
  
“Oh, I’d love to see that footage,” Shane rolled his eyes dramatically.

“As well as numerous pictures,” Ryan continued, grinning. “Seminole legends also mention a creature that may have served as inspiration for local settlers. An article in the Smithsonian mentions that a bill was even proposed in 1977 to Florida legislation in response to numerous skunk ape sightings. The bill would have made it illegal to harm or capture any humanoid creature—“

Shane was laughing hard, his eyes squinty. “What…are you serious?”

Ryan continued, smiling. “One of the most distinct details about this creature is its supposedly putrid smell. Many accounts claim this creature smells like either a skunk, a cabbage—“ Shane was laughing again. “Or, a wet dog.”

“Wha—“ Shane struggled to get his words out between huffs of disbelieving laughter. “These southern bumpkins saw what was probably a smelly bear, and decided, ‘oh, must be Bigfoot!’” Shane said this last part with a dramatic southern drawl.

“I wish I had my phone, cause some of the pictures are pretty compelling.”

Shane rolled his eyes. “Lemme guess, people have a bunch of blurry photos of something that is probably just a guy in a gorilla suit—“

“I thought you were claiming the skunk ape was just a smelly bear?”

“Why not both? A few idiots see a bear, then stage photos with a cheap gorilla suit. Boom, there’s your ‘compelling evidence.’”

Ryan grinned reluctantly. “What’s your explanation for the Seminole legends?”

  
  
“You know I take other cultures’ beliefs seriously, but it’s probably the same story. Someone saw a stinky, little bear and got spooked. Then those stories put a bunch of settlers on edge, and it spiraled from there.”

“You know, it could be, like, a relative of Bigfoot,” Ryan said this so seriously that Shane once again burst into laughter. “Shut up, asshole, hear me out. You can’t tell me there aren’t untouched places in this country. There’s still wild places that people don’t really go to. How do we know there isn’t an entire species hiding out in the wild? We still discover new species all the time—“

“Bud, the new species we discover are, like, shrimp in the deep sea and tiny bugs on remote islands. I think someone would’ve noticed an entire species of giant monkeys living in the U.S.”

“You can’t know that. Where’s your evidence?”

  
  
“Where’s _my_ evidence? Where’s yours??”

“There’s literally dozens of reported sightings—“

  
  
“Some random hicks saying they saw a giant, stinky monkey doesn’t count as scientific evidence.”

Ryan sighed, rolling his eyes. Shane mimed pointing at a watch, jerking his head towards the stack of CDs.

Ryan wrapped up, as Shane stood to pick a CD. “So, is the skunk ape just a myth based on bear sightings? Or, is it a new species of humanoid creatures, terrorizing the deep south? For now, this mystery will remain unsolved.”

“Now, folks,” Shane spoke up. “Please sit back and enjoy the beautiful sounds of—“ Shane squinted at the CD. “Hall and Oates.” Shane followed this up with an audible _ugh,_ definitely picked up by the mic. Ryan started laughing before cutting off both microphones, the sound of Hall and Oates filling the studio.

Shane and Ryan spent another two hours playing bad 1970s pop music, occasionally pausing songs to joke about the musical selection. It was early evening by the time they left the tiny brick building on the outskirts of town, walking under the shadow of a massive, rusted radio transmitter towards the car.

“Wanna stop by Bessie’s?” Ryan asked hopefully as he pulled the car onto the road.

Shane snorted. “Sure thing, bud. Get some damn vegetables this time, you’re gonna get scurvy.”

Ryan just grumbled in response.

After eating massive pot pies, followed by peach pie, the two drove slowly home, both lazy and slow from overeating. “Now what?” Ryan asked as they pulled up outside the house. “Should we poke around some more?”

Shane sighed, his calm expression tightening slightly. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“We don’t have to…we can take a night off if you want. We still have some whiskey.”

“As tempting as that is, little guy, we shouldn’t get complacent. We should keep trying to figure out what the fuck is happening here.”

Ryan grimaced. “Yeah, we should. Where to first?”

“Maybe we head back to the outskirts of town? That’s been the most productive so far…”

“In the dark?” Ryan’s voice was hushed, his eyes wide.

Shane paused, looking at Ryan for a moment. “We should bring the gun."

  
  
“I thought you didn’t wanna use guns?”

“I don’t.” Shane rubbed his face. “However, I really don’t like the thought of going out in those fields with whatever or whoever’s been terrorizing this place without any sort of backup plan.”

Ryan climbed out of the driver’s seat, heading for the house. “We still don’t know how to use it…” He looked over his shoulder at Shane, clearly uncertain.

“I’m sure we can figure it out.”

——————

After spending a nerve-wracking hour learning how to load a gun, based solely on sketchy memories of internet knowledge, Ryan sat in the passenger’s seat, gazing out into the dark as Shane drove. It was late, and barely any fireflies remained. The moon was out, and Ryan was grateful for the dim light it provided.

Shane pulled past the edge of town, slowing the car. “Where should we stop?”

Ryan shrugged. “Anywhere. We were on a different road last time, so we should be fine starting wherever.”

Shane nodded and pulled the car onto the shoulder. “You have your phone?” 

Ryan nodded, turning his flashlight on. “Here, hold the flashlight. I know you don’t wanna touch the gun, and I don’t wanna hold both.”

“Bossy,” Shane grinned, grabbing Ryan’s phone and exiting the car. Ryan followed, pulling his hood up against the cool night air. Again, the field of tall prairie grass they stood next to was utterly silent. No crickets chirping, no fireflies in sight. Shane started to head into the field, and Ryan took a couple of quick steps to catch up and grab Shane’s hand. Shane glanced down at Ryan, smiling slightly. “It’s just like filming Unsolved.”

Ryan nodded absently in response, clearly still uneasy. He followed Shane into the gently whispering grass, clutching Shane’s hand tightly in his left hand, the gun cradled to his chest with his right.

“You better not get scared and accidentally blow my head off,” Shane joked, voice hushed. Ryan, who was afraid of exactly this, just swallowed audibly. Shane paused, turning to Ryan. “We’re gonna be okay, Ry. I know it’s spookier ‘cause it’s dark, but I’ve got your back, and if it gets too weird, we’ll bail.”

Ryan sighed, nodding in response. Shane squeezed his hand reassuringly before continuing across the field. At the end of the field, Ryan could just make out the looming shape of another field of corn. They headed towards that, grass swishing gently around them. “I never wanna see corn again after this,” Ryan muttered as they yet again dove in between rows of corn. Shane glanced over his shoulder, quirking a smile that Ryan could just make out in the moonlight. It was darker in the cornfield, but the looming plants made Ryan feel much more secure.

They walked for several minutes, quiet, Shane covering most of the flashlight with his hand, letting out just a thin sliver to guide him. Ryan was just starting to relax when—

A groaning, mechanical screech sounded, wailing for a long moment. It was the same sound they had heard previously outside the police station. Only this time, it sounded considerably closer. Ryan squeezed Shane’s hand so tightly that it must’ve been painful, but Shane only squeezed back, as they both froze. He had covered the flashlight entirely and released Ryan’s hand briefly to turn it off. They stood in silence, the corn looming and dark around them. The whispering leaves, which had seemed innocuous just a moment ago, now felt sinister.

Ryan felt his chest clench as another shriek sounded, closer this time, coming from behind them. Shane didn’t say anything; he simply tugged Ryan’s hand, breaking into a run. Their run was difficult in the dark, both boys frequently tripping over corn stalks and uneven ground, sliding in the mud. 

They ran until they were both panting hard, sweating even in the cool night. After several minutes without the noise, Shane slowed to a stop, bending over to breathe heavily for a moment, hands on his knees. Ryan rested his hands on his head, taking deep, calming breaths until Shane straightened up. “You okay?” Shane’s voice was barely audible, and Ryan just nodded in response. Shane nodded back, grabbing Ryan’s hand and continuing, his pace slow and quiet.

Ryan felt a creeping sensation along the back of his neck, whipping his head around…nothing but dark corn stalks. He moved closer to Shane, stepping on the backs of his shoes several times. Shane didn’t say anything, just squeezed Ryan’s hand again. Ryan felt the creeping sensation again, the unnerving feeling of being watched making him shudder, his whole body shivering. Shane paused, looking down at Ryan, concerned. “Ry, are you—“

  
  
Ryan felt pain explode in the back of his head, his vision whiting out momentarily before slowly returning. He was on his knees in the mud, crumpled from the pain and disorientation. 

His ears were ringing, but distantly, he heard Shane yelling his name. Through the swirling stars filling his vision he could just make out the sight of Shane being dragged away by two large white shapes. Ryan was struck by a sickening wave of nausea, his head spinning.

Then, feet wearing white rubber boots stepped in front of him. Ryan looked up to see a person in a white hazmat suit, wearing a WWII-style gas mask. Ryan opened his mouth, his voice caught in his throat, and the person lifted a gun, bringing the butt of it down on Ryan’s head, hard. Ryan was gone, vision black, face-first in the mud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for leaving y'all like this. I'll post next chapter tomorrow! Next one is long, and just a warning, it does contain some slightly more gross, bloody stuff. Nothing extreme, but just a head's up!
> 
> Leave me some love, spooky babes <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll are bringing me life with your comments and kudos. I love you and hope you guys like this chapter <3
> 
> This is a long one. The boys finally figure out what's happening...sort of.
> 
> TW for some blood and violence and some creepy shit.

Ryan came to slowly, his blank mind slowly putting together puzzle pieces starting with _where am I_? For a brief moment, Ryan thought he was waking up in bed, until the aching of his head, the twisting nausea, and the cold mud under his cheek all brought everything rushing back, and… _Shane._

That one thought, the terrible memory of Shane frantically calling “ _Ryan…RYAN!_ ” was all it took to spur Ryan into action. He clumsily clambered to his feet, far too quickly, apparently, because a moment later he was on his knees, throwing up into the mud. 

Concussion. 

Ryan grimaced, wiping at his mouth with a muddy hand before getting up, slowly this time.

Ryan stood still for a moment, unsteady. He glanced around him, catching sight of something glimmering in the mud— the gun. Ryan slowly bent to pick it up, his stomach churning with the movement. He headed in the direction he thought Shane had disappeared, his steps unsteady and cautious. 

The more Ryan walked, the more sure his steps became. Ryan reached the edge of the cornfield, squinting in the dark through the trees that stood in front of him. The sky was now overcast, and despite his eyes adjusting to the darkness, he struggled to make out the ground in front of him, stumbling over tree roots and small bushes. Ryan walked through the small cluster of trees, exiting into a field of soybeans. It stretched on as far as Ryan could see, with no sign of Shane or the people who had taken him.

Ryan grimaced as his head throbbed, continuing onto the soybean field, crushing plants underfoot. Despite the mild ringing in his ears, Ryan heard the distant sound of an engine. Ryan hefted the gun up in both hands, knowing he wouldn’t be able to run in his current state. He continued slowly through the field, tensing as the sound grew louder. Suddenly, in his periphery, Ryan saw a flash of light. Ryan turned, squinting as the headlights quickly grew, blinding him. The car skidded to a halt next to him. It was Martins.

Martins leaned over the center console, swinging the passenger door open. “Get in,” he commanded. Ryan cautiously climbed into the car. Martins was tense and silent as he looked at Ryan. “You’re bleeding,” he finally commented. Ryan hadn’t noticed. 

He swallowed, looking at Martins. “Shane—“

“I figured,” Martins said grimly. “I saw the van in town, heard him screaming for you.”

Ryan closed his eyes, suddenly overwhelmed.

“Hey, keep it together, kid,” Martins said firmly, starting to drive across the uneven, muddy field.

“We need to find Shane,” Ryan said weakly.

Martins’ grip around the steering wheel was white. “I know. We’re gonna find him.”

“Why are you helping?” Ryan kept his eyes closed to stave off the nausea of bumping along in the car.

Martins sighed. “I guess I figured I don’t have much left to lose at this point. You guys have done more in a week than I have in a decade. If I were to bet on anyone making it out of here, it’d be you two idiots.”

“Where are we going? Where did they take him?”

  
  
“I’m not positive,” Martins threw a glance at Ryan as he pulled out of the field onto the road. “But I have an idea. I’ve watched those vans, and I have some idea of what direction to head.”

“What is this place? Those guys in hazmat suits…what are they gonna do to Shane?”

  
  
“Let’s not give them time to do anything to him,” Martins said firmly.

Soon, they were speeding through town. Martins pulled the car over in front of the diner, turning it off. He sighed, turning to Ryan. “I need you to make it through this. Here…” Martins ruffled through his center console, pulling out a faded prescription bottle. He poured three pills into his hand, holding them out to Ryan. “Take these.”

“What are they?”

“Percocet. Got ‘em after injuring my back a couple years ago. I don’t have any water, you’ll just have to get these down.”

Ryan grimaced, popping the pills into his mouth, making a face at the taste before swallowing them audibly.

“This is our one shot, kid. We gotta get this right,” Martins pulled his handgun out of its holster. “I have no idea what we’re walking into. Just stay close, shoot first, ask questions later.”

Ryan was too exhausted and terrified to argue. He exited the car, still feeling unsteady. Martins came around the car to stand in front of him. “He’s gonna be okay,” Martins insisted, his voice hushed. “Just keep it together.”

Ryan grimaced, tightening his hold on the shotgun. Martins walked towards the diner, Ryan following closely behind him. Martins glanced around before jamming the butt of his gun into the glass door. It shattered loudly, Ryan wincing at the sound. Martins walked cautiously inside, broken glass crunching under his boots. Ryan followed him into the dark, empty building, and Martins turned to him for a moment. “Watch the door for a sec.”

“What are we doing here?” Ryan hissed.

“When they took Lizzie, the girl I told you about? They stopped outside the diner. I couldn’t get close enough to see exactly where they went, but it was somewhere around here.”

“And Shane?” Ryan’s voice cracked over his name.

“I couldn’t follow without looking suspicious. But they were headed in this direction,” Martins sighed, leveling a look at Ryan. “I know you’re worried, and you’re pretty fucked up right now…just let me do the leg work. Keep an eye on the door. Shoot anyone you see.”

Ryan swallowed, and Martins was gone before he had a chance to respond. Martins strode behind the counter to the kitchen. Ryan watched warily before turning to gaze out the front door. He could hear Martins crashing around, jumping as the noise cut through the quiet night. Soon, Martins was striding back out into the dining area, his face stony. “Let’s go,” he commanded, walking through the door.

“Where, exactly? What’s your plan, just trash the entire town?”

“If I have to. Now hurry the fuck up, stay with me.” Martins was striding to a tiny brick building next to the diner. The only door sat on the side of the building, chained and padlocked shut. “Stand back.” Martins threw a glance at Ryan before focusing on the door. He raised his gun, firing two quick shots at the padlock. The lock burst open on the second shot. Ryan winced at the ringing noise of the gunshots.

“If fucking Coombs wasn’t on our tail before, he will be now,” Martins smiled grimly, shoving the door open. Ryan came close, squinting in the darkened doorway.

“Just a sec,” Martins muttered, fumbling with his utility belt. He pulled out a heavy flashlight, flicking it on.

“What the fuck,” Ryan breathed. He could feel the Percocet kicking in, his emotions distant and floaty. For a moment, he wondered if it could be making him hallucinate.

The inside of the ramshackle brick building was incredibly modern. Ryan had the distant thought that it looked like something out of Star Trek, and he felt hysterical laughter threatening to bubble over at the absurdity of the situation. The inside of the tiny building was pure chrome, Martins flashlight reflecting off of nearly every surface. In the center of the room stood some sort of complicated control panel, covered in buttons, a screen in the middle.

“You any good with technology?” Martins glanced over his shoulder at Ryan, who stood motionless, gobsmacked. “Uh….kid?”

Ryan shook himself out of his stupor, meeting Martins’ eyes. “I’m good enough.” He shrugged. “I have no idea what I’m looking at right now, though.”

“Give it a shot, my old man brain hasn’t seen any modern technology in a decade.”

Ryan walked tentatively to the console, Martins following closely to provide light. Ryan grasped the gun in one hand, reaching out to the console. It seemed to come to life under his hands, lighting up. He pressed a few buttons aimlessly with no result. He tried touching the screen, and it lit up a soft blue, with large, bold letters across the top: “BIOMETRIC SCAN REQUIRED.”

  
  
“What the fuck,” Martins huffed, sounding frustrated.

“I think it needs a handprint? Or maybe a retinal scan?” Ryan glanced at Martins. “I doubt we’ll be able to get in…”

Martins had a look of dawning realization on his face for a moment before his expression twisted into something grim. “I have an idea. Wait here for me. If anyone other than me comes, shoot.”

Before Ryan could protest, Martins was gone. Ryan felt distinctly floaty at this point, the world pulsing around him with his heartbeat. He was startled to realize he no longer felt the pain in his head. Time passed, and despite the painkillers, Ryan grew increasingly nervous. He felt twitchy, jumpy, and a moment later when Martins burst in, he actually yelped.

Ryan stared. Martins was covered in sprays of fresh blood, and…Ryan felt sick when he saw that Martins was clutching a severed human hand. “Is that…?” Ryan whispered.

“It was Coombs’. He won’t miss it.”

“ _Jesus_ , how could you just—“

“You try spending a decade trapped away from your friends and family, watching every new friend you make get kidnapped,” Martins expression was nonchalant as he walked into the room.

“Shane was totally right,” Ryan breathed, feeling suddenly hysterical. He started to laugh. “You’re totally going on a murder spree cause…” Ryan was practically rolling on the floor. “Cause you’re too fucked up to be a serial killer!”

Martins stared at Ryan in disbelief. “Ryan. Buddy… _get your shit together_.”

Ryan trailed off into occasional chuckles. Martins just shook his head, striding over to the console in the center of the room, slapping the severed hand onto the screen. For a moment, nothing. Then—

Ryan stood up quickly, staring as the back wall folded open, revealing a massive elevator. Ryan and Martins glanced at each other. “Let’s go save your boyfriend,” Martins said grimly, striding towards the elevator. Ryan didn’t bother correcting him.

——————

The elevator took an unreasonably long time as it plummeted into the ground, making Ryan’s ears pop. Martins and Ryan remained silent. Finally, it stopped, doors almost silent as the whirred open. 

  
  
“What the fuck,” Martins breathed. A long hallway stretched in front of them, concrete walls and floors and fluorescent lighting making it look like some brutalist office building.

Ryan strode forwards first this time. He knew he was close to Shane and was desperate to find him. Martins jogged a couple of steps to catch up, walking next to Ryan. Both were silent, clutching their guns. They came to an intersection with another long hallway. White metal doors lined the walls down all three halls, closed and silent. 

“Which way?” Martins muttered.

“This way,” Ryan said decisively, continuing forwards. Martins shrugged and followed. They were approaching another intersection when they heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming towards them from the right. 

“In here,” Martins hissed, choosing a door at random, throwing Ryan in before him. He left the door barely cracked, peering out intently. The sound of footsteps came and went. Martins turned back to Ryan, looking spooked. “That guy was military…what the fuck is this place?”

Ryan wasn’t listening. He was gazing around the room they had snuck into. They were standing at the entrance of a lab full of large, white medical scanners, tables full of glass flasks and microscopes, and at the back of the room…Ryan felt sick upon seeing several large cylindrical glass tanks full of viscous liquid, with horrific chunks of flesh floating in it—

“That’s the thing I saw in town hall,” Ryan sounded lost. Hanging still and silent in one tank was a tiny figure, vaguely humanoid, with a sickeningly large and misshapen head, little more than a hunk of pale flesh. The other tanks contained similar creatures, some covered in chunks of fur, all of them so twisted it was hard to imagine they could be alive.

“We gotta keep moving,” Martins insisted quietly.

Ryan nodded mutely, following Martins back into the hallway. “This place is massive, how are we ever gonna find him?” Ryan whispered as they crept down the hallway. 

Martins glanced down at Ryan. “We’ll find him,” he replied shortly.

Ryan could see the end of the hallway approaching at this point. There was another elevator, less massive this time. He and Martins didn’t say a word as Ryan pressed the down arrow, both waiting in silence. A gentle ‘ding!’ and the doors slid open, revealing the tiny metal interior.

Once they were standing in the elevator, Ryan stared uncertainly at the buttons. While the last elevator held a single button, this one had 4 options: SB1, SB2, SB3, SB4.

“Sub-basement?” Martins guessed.

“Should we go all the way down?” Ryan glanced at him. Martins shrugged silently in response, and Ryan sighed, pushing SB4.

The reprieve of standing alone in the elevator was far too brief, the door sliding open after merely a few seconds of downward motion. Ryan stepped out into a similar hallway: long, concrete, full of unmarked, closed doors. Ryan felt the insistent throb of his head just barely starting to return; the painkillers were wearing off.

Ryan felt increasingly nervous as they crept down the hallway; they could spend days searching the massive facility for Shane. They were approaching another intersection when a shrill scream echoed distantly from their left. Ryan and Martins froze, looking at each other.

“That didn’t sound like—“ Ryan began uncertainly.

“It was definitely a woman’s voice,” Martins confirmed.

“We should check it out,” Ryan said firmly, heading down the hallway to their left.

“Ryan,” Martins hissed, grabbing his arm. “We need to stay focused if we’re gonna find him and find a way out of here.”

Ryan’s eyes were wide, but his mouth was firmly set, determined. “We’re not leaving anyone down here. If someone needs help, we’re their only hope.”

Martins groaned, running a hand down his face, which was still covered in dry flecks of blood. “Fine. But let me go first.”

Martins led the way towards where they had heard the shout. The pounding in Ryan’s head was quickly becoming more insistent, but he firmly ignored it. Another scream, this time considerably closer. A few feet down the hall, a door stood slightly ajar. Martins looked at Ryan, then jerked his head towards it pointedly. Ryan swallowed and nodded as they made their way towards the door.

Silently, Martins swung the door open, revealing another lab. Ryan noted two men in hazmat suits bent over monitors, both silent. And in the center of the room…Ryan closed his eyes, feeling bile rising in his throat. 

It was Susanna, but…it wasn’t. Her face was recognizable, but the rest of her…she had too many limbs, her body a twisted, swollen mess, easily four times as large as a normal person. Aside from her face, no other part of her looked human. She stared vacantly in front of her, eyes clouded and unseeing. Her face was contorted in agony.

Ryan jumped as two quick gunshots rang out. He looked quickly to Martins, who was holding his gun up, face stony. The two men in hazmat suits were dead. Martins stared at Ryan, pointedly not looking at the thing that was Susanna. 

Ryan took in a shaky breath. “We can’t just leave her like this.”

Martins' rigid expression broke into fury. “Well, what the _fuck_ are we supposed to do?”

“Give me the gun,” Ryan’s voice was tremulous.

Martins just stared, and Ryan set down the shotgun, reaching for the handgun. He took it from Martins, his hands shaking. Slowly, he walked to the center of the room until he was standing a foot in front of the horrible creature. “Susanna?” Ryan whispered, his voice cracking. The creature groaned in agony. “I’m sorry,” Ryan said, more firmly. He lifted the gun, closed his eyes, and pulled the trigger.

Ryan turned away, eyes still closed. He felt a rising wave of wrenching nausea and fell to his knees, dry heaving for several long moments. Wiping his mouth shakily, he stood up, striding towards the door. Martins exchanged their guns, and Ryan stepped out into the corridor. Martins followed, his expression hollow.

The two returned to their original path down the main hallway. They walked for several minutes in silence, until Martins cocked his head, looking at Ryan. “Hear that?” He whispered.

Ryan paused, listening. Very faintly, he could hear a distant mechanical whirring. Without discussion, they continued on more quickly towards the sound. While following every sound they heard was far from a solid plan, they were both far too stressed to stop and formulate anything better. As they walked, the whirring steadily grew louder. 

Ryan could now see the end of the hallway. A red door, closed, covered in biohazard symbols and caution signs. Once they stood outside the door, Ryan took several deep breaths, trying to tamp down the insistent throbbing of his head, steeling his nerves for whatever they were about to see. Martins went first, immediately freezing upon stepping into the room. Ryan followed, stopping as well, struck.

The room was massive, stretching up several stories. They were standing at the top of a flight of stairs leading down to a smooth, metal floor. Some sort of colossal device stood in the center of the room, bigger than a house. It was metal, connected to wires and pipes leading off in all directions. Ryan looked up, seeing that catwalks crisscrossed the room, leading up as far as he could see. The entire room was cold, metal, and sterile, like the previous rooms they had seen. He could make out several white hazmat suits walking around, and Ryan gulped at the sight of several men in military uniforms.

“Joshua.” A voice called. Ryan yelped in surprise, jumping closer to Martins. Coming up the stairs in front of them was…

“Bess?” Ryan sounded dumbfounded. It was Bessie, from the diner. She was wearing military fatigues and a white lab coat, a gas mask hanging around her neck. She regarded them cooly, crossing her arms.

“Only my grandma can call me Joshua,” Martins grimaced at her, raising his gun.

“I wouldn’t fire that in here, if I were you,” Bess indicated the gun. “This town has enough problems without more time anomalies.”

“Where’s Shane?” Ryan demanded. Bess ignored him.

“What the fuck is happening here? What is this, some kind of military experiment?” Martins asked.

“Close,” Bess quirked a smile, her eyes still hard and unfriendly. “We’re sanctioned by the government, but the military provides security.”

  
  
“What, like Project Montauk?” Ryan asked, looking torn between anger and fascination.

Bess turned to him. “Got it in one, kid. Project Montauk was our predecessor. They had to shut it down in the early 90s, and we started a couple years later.”

“‘Montauk’?” Martins still hadn’t lowered his gun, but he glanced at Ryan in question.

“It was a supposed government experiment in the 80s…like, they were studying fringe science stuff, like time travel, mind control, teleportation…” Ryan recited, clearly thinking back to Unsolved research. He cleared his throat, looking at Bessie again. “Where is Shane? Why can’t anyone leave this place?”

Bess snorted. “Your boyfriend is long-gone, kid. You will be too, soon. How do you think we kept this town so complacent? I drugged up those small-town idiots with my food, and anyone who resists is taken down here as a test subject.” She shrugged. “As for why no one can leave, it’s a convenient side effect of the time experimentation. This whole town is stuck in a loop, surrounded by distortions in gravity. Only way out is deep, deep underground—“

“Look, enough with the super-villain bullshit speech. We get it, cool motive! Government-sanctioned murder!” Martins took a step towards Bess. “Now, take us to the kid, or I will shoot you.”

Bess rolled her eyes. “You won’t shoot me, Joshua.”

Martins opened his mouth to protest, but Ryan spoke first, leveling the shotgun at Bess. His hands were shaking violently. “I will. I already killed one of your experiments, and I will literally kill everyone here until I find Shane.”

Bess gave him a small, pitying smile before calling over her shoulder, loudly. “Guards, come—“ Her command cut off into a shriek as Martins shot her in the shoulder. She reached for her gun, snarling “You little—“

“Stop,” Ryan cut her off. “Shane,” he commanded, voice quavering.

Behind Bess, Martins could make out a small group of military guards at the bottom of the stairs, all holding guns and whispering to each other, clearly unsure. “You fellas come any closer, I’ll blow her head off and destroy your little machine,” Martins called down to them.

“Let her go, and we’ll let you live,” one of the men called up.

“Not gonna happen, boys,” Martins called back grimly, before turning to Bess, who was now clutching her bleeding shoulder. “Take us to the other kid, then get us out of here.”

Bessie looked furious. Her face was pale and drawn, her eyebrows furrowed dangerously. “You have no idea what you’re—“

“Fucking _enough_ with the pontificating, lady!” Martins threw his head back and rolled his eyes, exasperated. 

“Follow me,” Bess bit out, still clutching her shoulder. She passed Ryan and Martins, walking through the open door. 

“Gimme that,” Martins muttered at Ryan, wrenching the gun out of his hand. Ryan was about to protest, and Martins continued, more gently, “I don’t want you to have to shoot anyone else. Let me take lead.” Ryan deflated slightly, nodding at Martins, who followed Bess closely, gun pressed to the back of her neck.

Bess took them a short way down the hall, opening one of the white doors. Ryan entered the room after Martins and Bess, looking around the lab they had entered. Two men in hazmat suits and an older man in a white lab coat looked up in surprise. In a corner across the room stood a small plexiglass room and inside of it, strapped to a chair—

_Shane._

He was unconscious, his head slumped onto his shoulder. His hair was a complete mess, his glasses missing, several bruises blooming on his arms and face. In the crook of one arm, an IV was dripping something milky white, and his head was covered in EEG leads. Ryan’s throat was tight, his eyes burning at the sight. “What did you do to him,” his voice was small and strained as he gazed at Shane.

Bess turned to him, rolling her eyes. “Nothing, yet. He’s just sedated.”

“Undo it. Now.” Ryan’s voice was stronger, and he felt hot anger bubbling up, despite his still burning eyes.

Bessie sighed, turning to the two men in hazmat suits. “Wake him up,” she commanded, clearly reluctant.

“Ma’am—“ one of the men began to protest.

“Do it,” she said, more insistent. “Now.”

One of the men shrugged and grabbed an IV bag, entering the room to switch it out with the milky substance. He grabbed a syringe off of a small table in the back of the room, twisting it into a port on the IV line. As he slowly pushed it in, Shane began to stir.

Slowly, Shane lifted his head, squinting around, still clearly dazed.

“Get him out, now,” Ryan urged, walking quickly towards the chamber.

“Ryan…” Martins warned.

Bess grimaced. “Do it.”

The man in the room undid Shane’s restraints. Ryan was in the center of the room, and Shane spotted him, his terrified expression melting into obvious relief. Ryan felt himself falter at the expression, blinking hard against the wet sheen in his eyes. 

Shane slowly stood up, stumbling for a moment, his legs shaking like a newborn deer. The man in the hazmat suit glanced around, clearly uncertain, before half-shrugging and going to hold the door of the little room open for Shane. Shane slowly stepped into the room and was immediately almost bowled over by Ryan.

Shane felt his shoulder growing warm and wet where Ryan had his face buried. “Hey, whoa,” Shane’s voice was hoarse from screaming and the subsequent sedation. He cleared his throat, bringing his shaky arms up around Ryan. “Hey, Ry,” he said softly, burying his face in Ryan’s hair which was still caked in dry mud and blood.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Ryan huffed. “God, I thought you were dead Shane, or…” his voice caught at the thought of Shane being turned into a _thing,_ like Susanna. He squeezed tighter, and Shane grunted in pain.

“Ry, little guy, can’t breathe,” Shane said lowly.

“Sorry,” Ryan whispered, pulling back, rubbing his red, puffy eyes. He looked at Shane for a moment, just drinking in the sight of his best friend.

“Guys,” Martins called. “C’mon, wrap it up, we’re getting out of here.”

“Not until we destroy this place,” Ryan said firmly, stepping towards Martins and Bess.

Martins grimaced. “Kiddo, I’m gonna get you two out of here, then I’m burning this place to the ground.”

“We’re not leaving you.” Ryan swallowed, his voice thin, but firm. “We’re gonna save whoever is left and stop this place from hurting anyone else. And I’m not leaving you alone.”

Ryan glanced at Shane and paused. He felt a lump in his throat at the way Shane was gazing at him, looking at him as though he were the fucking second coming. Ryan swallowed, “Shane—“

Shane stepped into Ryan’s space, reaching up to gently cup his face. Shane looked momentarily nervous as he swallowed. He looked at Ryan, asking a silent question.

Ryan nodded, his voice caught in his throat. He watched Shane’s face get closer and suddenly, they were kissing. It was gentle and brief, and Shane pulled away slightly to rest his forehead against Ryan’s.

“I’ve wanted to do that for, like, a ridiculously long time,” Shane admitted quietly, voice still hoarse. Ryan put his arms around Shane’s waist, squeezing in response.

“Fellas…” Martins sounded like he was suffering. “We got an evil government facility to destroy, how about you confess your undying love later?”

Shane reluctantly stepped away, and Ryan felt his face grow hot with embarrassment. But he couldn’t stop grinning like an idiot. Martins just rolled his eyes pointedly. “I’m still holding a supervillain at gunpoint, c’mon kids.”

Ryan looked at Bess. “Are there any other people here? People you’ve captured, people from the town?”

Bess just looked at him, face stony. After a long moment of silence, Bess sighed, responding, “The girl. Alicia Silverstein. She’s in the first lab on this floor, next to the elevator.”

“You kidnapped a _kid_?” Martins stared at her, dumbfounded.

Bess looked pissed, opening her mouth to argue, and Martins shook his head. “No, stop, I don’t wanna hear whatever bullshit justification you’re about to give me.”

Shane took Ryan’s hand as they followed after Martins and Bess. Shane was still shaky as they walked down the long hall towards the elevator. Bess led the way into the room, and Ryan suddenly faltered, realizing he didn’t want to see whatever was in the room.

“It’s okay,” Shane said quietly. “We’ll stay out here.”

Ryan nodded, letting Bess and Martin enter first. After a minute, Martins called out the door, “It’s okay. The kid’s okay.”

Ryan entered the room and saw Alicia, tied to a chair in the middle of the room, looking frightened and exhausted. The one woman in the lab, an older white woman with a shaved head and a lab coat, was untying her. Alicia remained silent as she walked slowly towards the four standing by the door.

As she approached, Shane took a step forward, dropping to one knee in front of her. “It’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna go find your mom and go somewhere safe.”

“We gotta destroy this place first,” Martins interjected. “But we’re gonna keep you safe, Alicia.”

Alicia just nodded silently. She took Shane’s hand, and Ryan grabbed the other. Shane glanced down, giving Ryan a weary little half-smile, his eyes crinkly.

They all left back towards the main lab. Bess glanced over her shoulder at Martins, her gaze calculating. “What’s your plan here? Just start shooting the massive time travel machine? For all you know, you could erase all of us from time, destroy the entire town.”

“I’m willing to risk it if it shuts this shit down,” Martins replied grimly, jabbing Bess with the gun. “You got any gas?”

Bessie scoffed. “You’re gonna kill everyone in this facility. I’m not helping you.”

Martins punched the glass on a nearby fire alarm, pulling it down. He looked at Bess pointedly as an alarm began to blare. Around them, doors began opening as people rushed for the elevator, all wearing some combination of military fatigues, hazmat suits, and lab coats.

“Now. Gasoline?” Martins looked at Bess expectantly.

“Go ahead and shoot me. I’m not helping you destroy my life’s work,” Bess crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’m not shooting you,” Martins said with a sigh. “C’mon, get in.” He nudged Bessie towards the red door, and they all entered to find the room empty of people. 

“Cowards,” Bess muttered darkly.

“Boys, find some gas or alcohol or something,” Martins commanded, and Ryan and Shane split up to dig through the room. 

A minute passed and Shane called out from behind the massive machine, “Found some! Over by the generator here.”

“I got something too,” Ryan stood behind one of the lab benches along the wall, holding up a large, clear jug. “Isopropyl alcohol.”

“Get up on the catwalk, and start pouring. Then I’ll—“ Martins was interrupted by Bess throwing herself into him, an open pocket knife in hand. Martins grunted in pain, jerking back with the impact, trying to bring the gun around. Alicia was next to them, screaming, and then, Ryan was there, grabbing Bess’s arm, wrenching her off of Martins. Before Bess could get her bearings, Ryan punched the side of her face, hard. Bess fell to the ground, and Ryan stomped on her wrist, the knife clattering to the floor. He leveled another kick to the side of her face, and she curled in on herself, moaning quietly.

“Martins,” Ryan asked, panting from exertion.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, she just nicked me,” Martins was bleeding considerably from where he clutched his abdomen. It wasn’t enough that Ryan thought it was immediately life-threatening, but his face was drawn with concern. He ripped off his shirt, passing it to Martins to staunch the bleeding.

“Now,” Martins winced, his voice strained. “Like I was saying, go torch this fucking hellhole.”

Ryan nodded, and he followed Shane up onto a catwalk over the device. They both began to pour, splattering the device with an excessive amount of gas and alcohol. When both of their containers were empty, Shane and Ryan hurried down to the first level of the room. 

“Got a light?” Shane asked, looking at Martins. Bess was still curled on the floor in a ball.

Martins raised his eyebrows at Shane. “Buddy, who do you think you’re talking to? Do _I have a light_?”

Shane snorted. “Yeah, yeah, just give it here.” Martins tossed a lighter to Shane, who deftly caught it. He turned to Ryan, “Wanna do the honors?”

  
  
Ryan shrugged. “I’m not the one who was just kidnapped, maybe—”

“Oh my _god,_ ” Martins groaned. “Please, _someone_ just light this fucking place on _fire_.”

Shane grimaced, jogging down the short flight of stairs. He didn’t pause as he lit the lighter and tossed it onto the dripping device. Almost immediately, the thing lit up, fire eating along the surface of it rapidly. The entire room began to shake, and Shane sprinted up the stairs, adrenaline giving him strength. As Shane and Ryan made for the door, Ryan picking up Alicia, Martins turned to Bess, yelling over the roar of fire and rumbling of the room, “Bessie, get the fuck up if you wanna live.”

Bess looked up from the floor, her nose and mouth dripping with blood. “Fuck. You.” She lowered her head to the ground again.

The room began to collapse, catwalks clattering onto the inferno, the concrete ceiling crumbling, sending massive chunks crashing to the floor. Martins swore, running to the door, following Shane and Ryan out. The elevator was shaking alarmingly the entire way out of the sub-basement. Alicia had her face buried in Ryan’s neck, Ryan clutching Shane’s arm in fear.

They sprinted down the final hallway, the lights flickering, the ceiling starting to groan ominously. As they made it into the last elevator, they could just see the hallway beginning to collapse. Again, the elevator was shaking violently, the lights flickering off just before they reached ground level. The group poured out of the tiny building, and they were standing in the empty street, panting in the early morning sunlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super nervous about how this chapter turned out, lemme know your thoughts! I obviously based this off of Project Montauk lol.
> 
> One chapter to go! Leave me some love!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, folks! Thank you so much to everyone for liking and commenting, I love u all. Like, I'm seriously blown away by the response to this
> 
> Come find me on Tumblr at crawlacrossthesaltflats

Shane was in the driver’s seat of the car, one hand stuck out the window as he drove down the empty highway under the blazing early-afternoon sun. He and Ryan had helped Martins hunt down the remaining residents of the town, first reuniting Alicia and Mona, before evacuating those remaining. The dozens evacuated from the facility made no move to stop the townsfolk from leaving, fleeing the collapsing streets along with the residents. The lack of leadership and utter destruction of the underground lab seemed to have plunged the scientists and military guards into chaos.

As soon as the town was empty of remaining residents, Shane and Ryan had followed Martins’ car as they tried to leave for the first time in days. It worked. Shane still had no idea where they were, but they had found the highway. “I don’t think I’m ever gonna understand what happened back there,” Shane commented idly, glancing at Ryan.

Ryan looked at Shane, expression dark. “I don’t think I want to understand.”

Shane gave Ryan a soft look. “I know you don’t wanna talk about what happened in there, Ry, but I’m here if you ever want to.” Shane turned back to the road, clearing his throat before continuing. “Like, besides the theoretical physics part of this, I don’t understand the point of the experiments…like, were they doing things to people intentionally, or was it the time loops, or whatever the fuck that was? Also, why did they take me and not you? Like, besides the fact that you’re more of a physical threat than me, you’re the one who believes! Why would they take Scully over Mulder?”

Ryan, who had been patiently waiting for this rant to end, glanced sidelong at Shane at the last part, eyebrows raised. “Dude, they _did_ take Scully! She was the one abducted! Jesus, did you even watch—”

Shane turned to Ryan, his smile crinkling his eyes, interrupting with, “God, I love you.” It was soft, matter-of-fact. Ryan felt his stomach twist. “I love you too, big guy,” his reply was quiet, directed down at his chest. Shane reached over and grabbed his hand, holding it up to his face to kiss Ryan’s palm softly, before intertwining their fingers over the center console. Ryan was smiling so hard his face hurt, his chest warm and full.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, still following Martins’ beat-up cop car, the scent of cigarettes drifting back through their window. Then, a sound filled their car, a tinny jingle that had Shane and Ryan looking at each other, confused. Realization dawned simultaneously, and Ryan let go of Shane to dive for his phone in the glove box, Shane focusing back on the road.

“Hello?” Ryan answered quickly, bordering on frantic.

“Hey, where’d you guys get to?” Shane could hear TJ’s voice, and he was embarrassed to feel his eyes blurring and chest clenching with relief.

“Teej,” Ryan gave Shane a concerned look as tears began to drip silently down his cheeks. “Man, is it good to hear your voice. Are you guys okay? How long have we been gone?”

“Uhh, we literally saw you guys 30 minutes ago? We’re fine, we were just gonna pull over for dinner, and I hadn’t seen your car in a while.”

“Oh.” Ryan was dumbfounded.

“Ryan?” TJ asked at the prolonged silence. “You there?”

Ryan cleared his throat, pulling himself together. “Yeah, sorry. So, uh, we got a little lost…”

Shane could practically hear TJ rolling his eyes. “Of course you did,” he sounded fondly exasperated. “We’re at exit 534. Give me a call when you guys find it.”

“Sure thing, dude.” Ryan hung up the phone. He turned to Shane, who was still crying slowly, and reached up to gently brush the tears off of his cheek. “We’re gonna have, like, so much PTSD from this.”

Shane snorted and looked over at Ryan’s fond little half-smile. He started laughing lightly, and Ryan started to laugh too, and soon, they were both hysterical.

“Holy shit,” Shane breathed, grinning, rubbing at his eyes. “Man, emotions are fucking wack.”

Ryan tamped down on laughter, like he did whenever he was going to make a particularly bad joke. “Sorry, big guy, I forgot this is your first time experiencing an actual human emotion.”

“Hilarious, Bergara.” Shane rolled his eyes.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, both lost in thought. Shane let out a whoop suddenly, Ryan startling slightly. Shane pointed out the windshield, and Ryan looked out the window. It was a road sign, indicating that the entrance to the interstate was one mile away. Just past the sign, Martins flicked on his blinker, pulling over onto the shoulder. Shane followed suit.

Martins got out of his car, ambling back to theirs. He ducked his head into the open driver’s side window, looking at them for a long moment.

“I’m heading the opposite direction of you boys. Last I knew, my only family was in South Carolina. I’ll split off up ahead here…” He took a deep breath, clearly discomfited at his oncoming show of emotion. “You two take care of yourselves, and each other. I wouldn’t have made it out without you. You have my number if you need anything. Just…take care. And thanks.” Martins looked relieved as he finished talking.

“Aww, that was adorable,” Ryan grinned at him.

“You’re a total brat, you know that?” Martins squinted at him.

“He knows it,” Shane confirmed. “But thanks, Martins. We’d both probably be dead without you.”

Ryan nodded, looking serious. “I’m sorry you were stuck there for so long. But thanks for having enough faith in us to help.”

Martins nodded, looking at them both for another moment before straightening up with a groan. “Thank god that’s over,” he quirked a smile at Ryan and Shane as he lit a cigarette. “See you fellas around.” He nodded before meandering back to his car. Shane and Ryan pulled out behind him again. Soon, they were turning in the opposite direction, pulling onto the interstate.

Ryan gasped at the first sight of another car. Every car he saw, every stupid religious billboard, was ridiculously comforting. As they finally approached the exit TJ and the others had used, Ryan turned to Shane. He felt slightly uneasy. “What’re we gonna tell the others?”

“You already told them we got lost, what—“

“I meant, like, what do we say about, like…us?” Ryan’s voice trailed off, filled with trepidation.

Shane threw an easy smile at Ryan. “We tell them the truth. We’re dating. Half the office already thinks we are.”

Ryan paused. “Wait, really?”

Shane snorted. “I know we’re gonna need years of intense therapy after this, but at least we’ve got this,” he squeezed Ryan’s hand pointedly. 

Ryan grinned. “Nothing as romantic as a kidnapping by evil government scientists.” He paused for a moment, serious again as he looked at Shane. “So…we’re good?”

“Ry, we’re great,” Shane said quietly, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems this small-town mystery will remain......................unsolved
> 
> At least until I make our boys do an episode on the mystery of Chesterwick
> 
> Keep leaving me love, spooky babes <3


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